Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has arrived at court to hear if he will be released from prison.

Defence lawyer Fareed El-Dib submitted a memorandum stating his client had already spent two years in provisional detention, which is the maxium allowed under Egyptian law.

Hosni Mubarak was arrested on 12 April 2011.

On 7 April, Prosecutor-General Talaat Abdullah announced Mubarak would be detained for an additional 15 days pending investigations into new charges related to the illegal use of state funds.

Last June, Mubarak received a life sentence for failing to protect peaceful protesters during the January 25 Revolution, but was granted a retrial in January due to procedural irregularities in the initial trial.

The judge overseeing the retrial recused himself on Saturday and referred the case to the Cairo Appeal Court.

Also facing retrial for their role in the killing of protesters during the revolution are former interior minister Habib El-Adly, and six of his aides.

Since his detention in April 2011, the ousted president has complained of health problems and has been moved back and forth from the hospital at Tora Prison to Maadi Military Hospital.

On Saturday, Prosecutor-General Abdullah requested that Maadi Military Hospital transfer Mubarak back to Tora Prison hospital if his health permits.