Push to free Mubarak as new regime flexes its muscle Egypt's new authorities have paved the way for the release of the former dictator Hosni Mubarak, further deepening the country's already violent political divide. The new prosecutor-general dropped charges of embezzlement against Mr Mubarak, which means a minor charge of accepting illegal gifts from a state-owned newspaper is the only outstanding accusation on which he can remain in jail. Mr Mubarak was jailed for life last year for failing to stop the killing of 846 protesters in the 2011 revolution that ended his rule, but that verdict was quashed and he is being retried. However, the term limit on his remand in custody has expired in that case. Farid el-Deeb, the former dictator's lawyer, told Reuters the last remaining procedures to free his client would be carried out within 48 hours. Despite a worsening security situation, the interim regime showed no sign of relaxing its reassertion of the military power thought to have disappeared with Mr Mubarak's overthrow. Egypt's ambassador to London compared the crackdown to the 2011 London riots. "There is no difference with what David Cameron did to deal with the demonstrations here in London," the ambassador, Ashraf el-Kholy, said. If the demonstrators don't have any weapons, the police could have reached them and taken them into custody. Nobody would have been hurt. But when the demonstrators have pistols and guns and the police are lined up with guns pointing at them, the authorities have to defend themselves. Crispin Blunt, an MP and former Conservative Party minister who visited the protest camps in Cairo, said Mr Kholy should be expelled. "Given that this administration has completely ignored our warnings, there is no benefit in trying to keep normal lines of communication open," he said. Although the interim government has claimed that it is protecting the legacy of the 2011 revolution, a faction in its ranks still regards Mr Mubarak - who has been in custody since April 2011 - as a wronged man. When interim Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy was asked at a press briefing whether it was right that Mohamed Mursi, an elected president, was arrested, he said Mr Mubarak had also been elected. Few people and virtually no international observers regard the ballots that took place under Mr Mubarak's rule as free and fair. In many instances he was the only candidate and voters were asked to vote "yes" or "no."