Hosni Mubarak Biography: Facts About Egyptian President (PHOTOS)

Pressure is mounting for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak due to widespread protests, and some are even calling for him to step down.

The Egypt protests have led to a number of responses from Mubarak's government including an unprecedented Internet blackout and an overnight curfew.

Since Mubarak first assumed his role after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat, the now 82-year-old has proved to be a far more durable leader than anyone could have imagined.

The autocrat -- who has been described by Foreign Policy as "senile and paranoid" -- now faces violent and unprecedented protests from Egyptians who are said to have been inspired by the civilian overthrow of Tunisia's president. Among the demonstrators' many concerns: Mubarak's near-militant lockdown on political opposition for much of his nearly 30 years in power, as well as a lack of a designated successor.

Take a look at some facts about Mubarak's controversial rule below and follow live updates in Egypt here.

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Emergency Law

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Mubarak came into power after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (left) was assassinated in 1981, and the former has come under criticism for extending the country's Emergency Law since then. Under that "state of emergency," the government has the right to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, thus keeping them in prisons without trials for any period.

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Mubarak came into power after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (left) was assassinated in 1981, and the former has come under criticism for extending the country's Emergency Law since then. Under that "state of emergency," the government has the right to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, thus keeping them in prisons without trials for any period.

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lisakclayton said on 28 Friday 2011 pm31 3:03 pm: lol Of course they did! They must be really worried right about now but talk about betting on the the wrong horse....

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Comments

[totaldisbelief]

10:18 AM on 02/06/2011

I want to know where Mubarak got all his Millions.

[gakabani]

10:17 AM on 02/06/2011

According to German tv Mubarak is worth more than 25 billion in liquid assets and more than 100 billion all family and cabal included. the wife is worth 3 billion in liquid assets. Who knows the reality.

[1differentdrummer]

05:56 AM on 02/06/2011

He's a modern day pharaoh, the type Cheney and Bush wanted to be.

[logic-a-go-go]

02:05 AM on 02/06/2011

He's actually a wax dummy, and they just prop him up for special occasions.

[ethiopia1a]

02:01 PM on 02/04/2011

nothing just his time is up lol

[yoyo1900]

04:28 PM on 02/03/2011

Let freedom ring through out the world and get rid of these dictators and their lot. These repressive regimes are so antiquated in this modern world of ours.

[duxguts]

01:04 AM on 02/03/2011

He can't be that bad, Tony Blair likes (licks) him.

[lioness39]

03:42 PM on 02/05/2011

LMAO!

[Steelsil]

10:16 PM on 02/02/2011

So is he more Richard Nixon or Ronnie Ray-gun?

[JHKH]

05:45 PM on 02/02/2011

Mubarak is reportedly (July 2010) dying of pancreatic cancer. Why this bit of information is never included in the reports baffles me. Either the 7/2010 UPI article was incorrect, or there is a grave omission being perpetrated on the public now. I don't know which is true.

[aurora59]

03:33 PM on 02/02/2011

" the government has the right to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, thus keeping them in prisons without trials for any period."

Hmmmmm, let's see, where ELSE does that kind of thing happen. Could it be GITMO, perhaps?

[dkinton49]

06:15 PM on 02/02/2011

I agree, we should not be holding them, most of them should be tried and executed. If not guilty, they should be set free.

[Kreskytim]

12:35 PM on 02/03/2011

tried and executed? Should you know what they did first?

[vascopyjama]

01:58 AM on 02/02/2011

Bibi said Hosni can stay in his spare room.

[PerotVentuSheehCarte]

08:21 PM on 02/01/2011

Hosni Mubarak, who engineered 9/11 to sell hatred of Islam for 10 years?

[dkinton49]

06:16 PM on 02/02/2011

Get a life! What you said is absurd.

[gakabani]

10:14 AM on 02/06/2011

I still wonder about building number 7.

[Steelsil]

10:17 PM on 02/02/2011

Tell us about the time aliens probed your nether parts!

[nothingchanges]

04:29 PM on 02/01/2011

The bad news.............the US ranks 20th in the world (freedom of the press) out of 168 nations.
We don't even make the top 10%. (We also don't make the top 10% of least corrupt countries)

The good news.........that's way up since 2006, when we ranked 56th.

I finally found some aspect where we are actually improving. Hurray!

[Eric Burke]

02:08 PM on 02/01/2011

"Egypt currently ranks 133 out of 168 nations in terms of freedom of the press."
Does this mean America is near the top? Most News organisations are owned by the same set of people so I can speculate and say there isn't much freedom of the press in the world at all.

[Trittydi]

09:26 AM on 02/01/2011

Mubarak's "Emergency law" sounds like what Bush did here - and Obama let continue - it sounds like our Patriot Act.
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