The man who held Egypt in an autocratic grip for three decades is apparently soon going free. The man who replaced him in the nation's first democratic election is now the military's prisoner, SIA reports citing CNN.
And while the criminal case against Hosni Mubarak -- accused of involvement in the deaths of protesters calling for his ouster -- remains alive, news that a court has ordered him released pending retrial naturally has some asking whether Egypt's Arab Spring moment was all for naught.
It's a good question, says Robin Wright, a Middle East analyst with the Woodrow Wilson Center. But it may also be premature.
While she says Mubarak's pending release is a "extraordinary development" and a "potent symbol," its impact could be muted by the long list of worries Egyptians are already dealing with on the ground -- violence, curfews, economic woes.
"It may not play as big there as it does here," she said.
The 85-year-old Mubarak has been held since shortly after he was removed from power in 2011. He was convicted last year on charges of inciting violence against protesters during the popular uprising the led to his ouster and, eventually, the elections that brought Morsy to power.