Egypt: Cairo residents react to Mubarak's release

The release of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak is an event that couldn’t have passed unnoticed.

It was a court decision widely appreciated in the capital Cairo. Egyptians had taken to the streets in 2011 to drive him out of power after three decades of reign, and they now have mixed reactions.

Mohamad Ahmed, a resident of Cairo says: “It is a disaster, a catastrophe for me personally and for Egypt from a general point of view.”

“Of course, we must respect the word of Egyptian justice. Justice is seen as guided by transparency and integrity ,” says Sameh Morad, another resident of Cairo.

Another Cairo resident Abdullah Ismail: “From the moment there was a judgment, nothing could be said, that’s all. This man has given a lot to the State. He has given much to the country and he must be respected. “

Thousands of Egyptians who took to the streets in 2011 are now in prison. Egyptians who still want change face protest fatigue and are demoralized.

The revolution euphoria has since faded as Egypt lurched from one political extreme to another – from the oppressive government of the Muslim Brotherhood to the military regime that now rules.