Egyptian court: Former President Hosni Mubarak can go free
By Greg Botelho and Ian Lee, CNN
Updated
4:45 PM EDT, Sat May 9, 2015
Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak waves to his supporters from the balcony of his room at the Maadi military hospital in Cairo on November 29, 2014 after a court dismissed a murder charge against the ousted leader over the deaths of protesters during a 2011 uprising that ended the former strongman's decades-long rule. The court also acquitted Mubarak of a corruption charge, but he will remain in prison because he is serving a three-year sentence in a separate corruption case. AFP PHOTO/AL-WATAN NEWSPAPER/MOHAMED NABILMOHAMED NABIL/AFP/Getty Images
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MOHAMED NABIL/AFP/Getty Images
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Story highlights
NEW: There's indifference, fatigue among many in Cairo about Mubarak's fate
He was Egypt's president from 1981 to 2011, when he was toppled in a revolution
Court: The Mubaraks must pay a hefty fine, but do get credit for time served
(CNN) —
Hosni Mubarak had been Egypt’s strong-handed president, controlling the North African nation for nearly three decades. He’d been target of mass scorn and derision, with hundreds of thousands hitting the streets to blast his rule. He’d been in prison, sentenced to spend the rest of his life there for the killing of protesters.
But soon he will be a free man.
That was the decision Saturday by the Cairo Court of Appeals, which state media reported upheld a three-year sentence against the 87-year-old Mubarak on corruption charges, but – accounting for time he’s already served – gave the OK for him to go home.
When and exactly where he’ll get out of custody wasn’t immediately clear.
Nor was it evident that Egyptians would care much, if and when that happens.
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Thousands of Egyptians gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square during a rally marking the anniversary of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising on Saturday, January 25. A spate of deadly bombings put Egyptian police on edge as supporters and opponents of the military-installed government take part in rival rallies for the anniversary.
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MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Supporters of Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt's minister of defense, gather at Tahrir Square to mark the anniversary.
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Ahmed Ramadan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Egyptian traditional dancers perform at a pro-military rally in Tahrir Square.
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Amr Nabil/AP
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood flashes a four-fingered salute next to burning tires allegedly set ablaze by protesters during clashes with security forces.
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HAZEM ABDUL HAMID/ALMASRY ALYOUM/EPA/LANDOV
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A man waves an Egyptian flag during a rally.
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Nameer Galal/NurPhoto/Sipa USA
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Pro-military demonstrators wave national flags and hold pictures of Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, who was a key figure in the ouster last summer of democratically elected President Mohamed Morsy, and who recently hinted at a run for the presidency himself.
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Khalil Hamra/AP
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Anti-military protesters shout slogans near the Ramses Square in downtown Cairo.
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Xinhua/Sipa USA
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A man carries his son to escape clashes between police and anti-military protesters.
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Xinhua/Sipa USA
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A boy is seen during a rally marking the anniversary.
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Cui Xinyu/Xinhua/landov
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood clash with security forces in Cairo.
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HAZEM ABDUL HAMID/ALMASRY ALYOUM/EPA/LANDOV
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Egyptian anti-military protesters, mostly supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsy, clash with security forces in downtown Cairo
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Ahmed Ashraf/AP
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Egyptians walk around an armored personnel carrier parked at a pro-military rally in Tahrir Square.
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Amr Nabil/AP
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A Muslim Brotherhood supporter aims fireworks at pro-military demonstrators clashes in Cairo.
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AHMED TARANHAHMED TARANH/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
A supporter of the Egyptian military leadership flashes the victory sign during clashes with Muslim Brotherhood supporters.
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AHMED TARANHAHMED TARANH/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: Photos: Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising
Egyptians mark anniversary of Arab Spring uprising —
Egyptian police fire tear gas to disperse hundreds of supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsy.
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Nameer Galal/NurPhoto/Sipa USA
Just a few years ago, throngs risked their lives to demand Mubarak’s ouster. A short time later, they were glued to their televisions to watch his first trial.
But Cairo now is a lot different than in 2011. Some have a strong interest in what happens to Mubarak, be they his allies or his staunchest enemies, including those who lost loved ones amid demonstrations.
Other Egyptians, though, are tired of all the legal back-and-forth. They don’t have the same kind of energy for mass discontent, or the same patience for those who do.
And they can’t be surprised. The Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government, led by elected then deposed and convicted President Mohamed Morsy, is gone. Egypt’s powerful military – which helped prop up Mubarak for decades – made sure of that. The army’s former chief of staff, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is now the nation’s president.
Latest in Mubarak’s roller coaster saga
The Cairo Court of Appeals decision won’t just pave the way for the release of Hosni Mubarak.
His sons Gamal and Alaa, who were power-players during their father’s stay in power, also had their sentences reduced by the court and were ordered freed, state-run Al Ahram newspaper reported.
The family won’t get off entirely: The court slapped a multimillion-dollar fine on Mubarak and his sons to pay back the Egyptian government for embezzlement.
Hosni Mubarak -- seen here while on trial in May 2014 -- was taken into custody shortly after his ouster as Egypt's president.
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AFP/Getty Images
It could be worse for the Mubaraks, but of course, it once was much better. Hosni Mubarak, after all, dominated Egypt from his ascension to president in 1981, shortly after the assassination of Anwar Sadat, right up until early 2011.
Everything came crashing down then, as massive, vibrant forces broke out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and elsewhere in Egypt.
Security forces cracked down, but the demonstrators didn’t relent. Instead, they swelled in numbers in what was then the highlight of the Arab Spring, the movement of popular revolutions then sweeping North Africa and the Middle East.
Eventually, Mubarak bowed to the pressure by stepping down as president. And, in the process, he became even more of a marked man.
The Egyptian general prosecutor’s office announced later that year that he and his sons, Gamal and Alaa, would stand trial on charges related to corruption and the killing of protesters – setting off a legal roller coaster for the Mubaraks.
In June 2012, the longtime Egyptian leader was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
But he got a new trial the following year, one that culminated in May 2014 with the three-year prison sentence tied to a conviction for embezzlement. His two sons got four years each on the same charge.
His freedom doesn’t mean Mubarak’s legal woes are over, including appeals and possibly new charges. The last few years have proved, if nothing else, that there can be a lot of twists in the Egyptian legal system that could affect its longtime leader.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak speaks to the media in Berlin, Germany in 2010.
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Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Then-Vice President Mubarak, left, joins President Anwar Sadat at a military parade on October 6, 1981, the day Islamic fundamentalists from within the army assassinated Sadat. Mubarak succeeded Sadat as Egypt's president, maintaining power for nearly three decades.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Eight days after Sadat's assassination, Mubarak, right, is officially sworn in as Egypt's president on October 14, 1981. Mubarak was re-elected in 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2005.
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Tom Hartwell/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
Mubarak poses with US President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1982.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher meets with Mubarak in London in 1985.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
Diana, Princess of Wales, visits Mubarak during a trip to Egypt in 1992.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton hold a joint press conference in 1995.
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Michael Geissinger/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
The front page of the Ethiopian Herald reports a foiled assassination attempt on Mubarak on June 27, 1995. He survived an attempt by an al Qaeda-affiliated group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
Mubarak, third from left, joins President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, second from left, Jordan's King Hussein, third from right, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, second from right, in Washington in 1995. The Israeli leader and Arafat signed maps representing the redeployment of Israeli troops in the West Bank.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak welcomes Pope John Paul II to Egypt for a three-day visit in 2000.
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Leila Gorchev/AFP/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
US President George W. Bush greets Mubarak at the White House in 2002 to talk about the Middle East crisis and the war in Afghanistan.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
In 2005, Mubarak again runs for a six-year term in the country's first multiparty presidential election. He was declared the official winner with about 88% of the vote, but many considered the election to be a sham.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
After weeks of Egyptians protesting Mubarak's 29-year reign, the President steps down from office on February 11, 2011, causing celebrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak through the years —
The ousted leader lies in a medical bed inside a cage in a courtroom during his verdict hearing in Cairo on June 2, 2012. A judge sentenced Mubarak to life in prison for his role in ordering the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprisings.
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AFP/Getty Images
Photos: In photos: Hosni Mubarak
Mubarak and his sons Gamal, left, and Alaa are seen behind the defendants' cage during their retrial at the Police Academy in Cairo. Mubarak was granted a retrial.
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Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
CNN’s Ian Lee reported from Cairo, and CNN’s Greg Botelho reported and wrote from Atlanta.