Hosni Mubarak is said to have been refusing food and drink while in detention Egypt's prosecutor general has ordered the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak, ahead of an investigation into corruption and abuse allegations.
Mr Mubarak, 82, is in hospital after reportedly suffering heart problems. His detention order will be in place for 15 days, state TV reported.
His sons Alaa and Gamal have also been detained amid allegations of corruption and violence, police say.
Mr Mubarak stood down in February after a popular uprising against his rule.
Since then, tens of thousands of protesters have staged weekly Friday protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding that he stand trial.
At least 360 people are thought to have been killed during the protests, as police opened fire and cracked down on the crowds. Rights groups say the figure is much higher.
There are also widespread allegations of corruption and abuse of power under Mr Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Sons pelted"The prosecutor general orders the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," said a post on the prosecutor general's Facebook page on Wednesday.
Analysis
This is an exceptional turn of events in the Arab world. The prosecutor is trying to send a message that Mr Mubarak is not immune from prosecution.
However the general public is suspicious at the timing of his heart problems and worried that ill-health, combined with old age, could prevent him from being tried.
Adding to the speculation are medical sources quoted by Egyptian state television saying the 82-year-old refused to eat or drink for two days ahead of questioning.
The fact that Mr Mubarak's two sons are also in custody, like several of their close allies in the former government, has been welcomed.
The announcement came a day after Mr Mubarak had been admitted to hospital with heart problems, although reports indicated that he was well enough to undergo questioning.
The former Egyptian leader had been keeping a low profile in Sharm el-Sheikh, a Red Sea resort, after fleeing to his holiday villa there when he was overthrown.
Late on Tuesday, a crowd of about 2,000 people had gathered outside the hospital, demanding that the sons be arrested.
As a police van with drawn curtains took away the two brothers for questioning, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their flip-flops, the AP news agency reported.
On Wednesday morning the pair were transferred to Tora prison complex in Cairo, home to other fallen officials and and some of the country's most notorious political prisoners.
Speculation that the younger son, Gamal, was being groomed to take over from his father helped to galvanise Egypt's protest movement.
Crackdown on Mubarak-era officials
On trial
- Habib al-Adly, interior minister
Referred to trial
- Ahmed al-Maghrabi, housing minister
- Ahmed Ezz, businessman and NDP official
- Rachid Mohamed Rachid, trade and industry minister
Detained pending investigation
- Hosni Mubarak and sons Alaa and Gamal
- Safwat Sherif, information minister
- Fathi Sorour, parliament speaker
Gamal, an investment banker, was a high-ranking member of President Mubarak's ruling party. His close associates were billionaires and held top positions in the ruling party and the government.
Mr Mubarak, along with his sons and their wives, have been banned from leaving the country. The family's assets have been frozen.
In a pre-recorded audio message on Sunday, he broke his silence of the last two months to say his reputation and that of his sons had been damaged and he would work to clear their names.
On Tuesday, Egyptian soldiers and police moved into Tahrir Square in Cairo and ended a sit-in by protesters demanding civilian rule and swifter prosecution of former officials.
A military council has been ruling Egypt since Mr Mubarak stepped down.
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