A chapter in Egyptian history was closed with the death of former president Hosni Mubarak. He ruled for thirty years and was deposed by the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The Arab Spring swept across the Middle East resulting in the fall in longtime leaders. It is questionable, whether this revolution was genuine. Most observers note that it appears that the 2011 uprisings were regime changes. So far, countries of the Middle East and North Africa have reverted back to authoritarian systems. Mubarak did not face serious jail time for possible crimes or the deaths of protesters in during the Arab Spring. This demonstrated that the military still holds more power in Egyptian government. The Mubarak presidency went to many lengths to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood and used it as an excuse to stifle dissent. Another coup in 2013, brought an end to the democratically elected government. The reason Mubarak did not share such a gruesome end like his colleagues from neighboring states was that the West favored his rule. The military establishment protected him and made sure his sentencing was reduced. Hosni Mubarak was released from prison in 2017 despite public outrage. The charges against him were for corruption and murder, which he was sentenced to life. That was overturned and he continued to live a peaceful live. Although Mubarak is gone the authoritarian structure he built is still intact. Egypt still has a long way to go to creating a government that meets the needs of every citizen. President Abdel Fattah Sisi continues to model himself on a Mubarak style form of administration, leaving little hope for reform.
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