Mubarak jailed for life

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Crowds were gathering outside the court earlier Saturday ahead of an expected verdict against ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

The 84 year old former leader has been on trial for complicity over the killing of hundreds of protesters last year in an uprising that unseated him from power.

He was flown in by helicopter on Saturday morning to the special court where he, his son and other officials are facing trial.

Mubarak was also facing charges of graft.

Last year's demonstrations drew global attention as the world watched thousands take to the streets day and night until Mubarak was forced out.

He was eventually brought back to stand trial- and his appearance on a stretcher, in a cage, stunned the nation.

But a drawn out and often chaotic trial-- plus a lack of strong evidence linking Mubark to the protesters deaths'-- left many feeling pessimistic about a fair and just verdict.

Julie Noce, Reuters