Egypt Upholds Mubarak Prison Sentence

Egypt Upholds Mubarak Prison Sentence

CAIRO (AP) -- An Egyptian court on Saturday upheld a three-year prison sentence for graft that was already served by former President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons, who are out of prison and will not have to serve additional time.

Mubarak and his sons, one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa, who were also implicated in the case, spent over four years in custody. The ruling gave them credit for time served.

Mubarak is being retried over the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his nearly three decades in power. Gamal and Alaa are still embroiled in corruption cases.

The three were found guilty of embezzling millions of dollars' worth of state funds that were intended for the maintenance of official residences but were instead used to upgrade the Mubaraks' private homes.

Emotions ran high in the courtroom as the judge began to read out his ruling against the 87-year-old toppled autocrat. A group of Mubarak's hardcore supporters, mostly women, prematurely erupted in jubilation — and then in tears and anger once they heard the judge say the appeal had been rejected.

"He does not deserve this," a weeping woman told The Associated Press in the courtroom while clutching a poster of the former president. In the background, a woman wailed and prayed out loud that God would take revenge on President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whom she somehow viewed as responsible for Saturday's verdict. El-Sissi took office in June 2014.

The hysterical crowd later chanted, saying: "Mubarak is still my president."