Cairo, April 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Hundreds of supporters of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak gathered in central Cairo Monday to demand that charges against him be dropped.

"The overwhelming majority of Egyptians know who Hosni Mubarak really is and understand what he did for Egypt and its people," the organisers of the protest said in a statement.

The deposed leader faces charges of corruption, abuse of power and authorising the shooting of protesters during an uprising in the country that began three months ago.

Mubarak stepped down Feb 11 after 18 days of mass public protests, which left more than 800 people dead and several thousand wounded. An official commission set up to investigate the deaths found that many were shot in the head or chest, indicating the use of snipers.

The secretary general of the commission said that Mubarak must have been consulted before the use of live fire was approved.

Mubarak is currently in a heavily guarded hospital in Sharm-el-Sheikh suffering from heart problems.