Hosni Mubarak sentenced to life
02:52 - Source: CNN

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Mubarak is in intensive care and has been placed on a ventilator

He was taken to a prison hospital Saturday

He is suffering from high blood pressure and shortness of breath

Cairo CNN  — 

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s health took a turn for the worse Wednesday and he was placed on a ventilator several times, the state-run news agency and the prosecutor’s spokesman said.

Mubarak, 84, is in a Cairo prison hospital after being sentenced to life in prison Saturday for the killing of pro-democracy demonstrators last year. Mubarak was already suffering from health problems and attended court on a gurney.

The state-run news agency, MENA, and prosecutor’s spokesman Adel Saeed said Mubarak is in intensive care at the Tura prison hospital, suffering from a sharp rise in blood pressure and shortness of breath.

“His health entered a dangerous state and he has been subjected to artificial breathing five times during the past few hours,” MENA reported Wednesday evening.

Mubarak is also suffering from a nervous breakdown and severe depression since being transferred to the hospital immediately after Saturday’s verdict, MENA and Saeed said.

MENA said official sources suggested transferring Mubarak to a military or private hospital.

CNN’s Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report