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CAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced former president Hosni Mubarak and his two sons to three years in jail without parole on Saturday in the retrial of a corruption case, although the trio is unlikely to go to jail again.

Mubarak, who ruled Egypt with an iron fist for 30 years, and his sons, Gamal and Alaa, already spent at least three years each in prison for other cases, so will probably not have to serve out the sentence.

The retrial was of a case in which Mubarak was sentenced to three years in prison in May last year on charges of diverting public funds and using the money to upgrade family properties. His two sons were given four-year jail terms in the same case.

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But Egypt's high court later overturned the convictions and ordered a retrial.

"The ruling of the court is three years in prison without parole for Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and Gamal Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and Alaa Mohamed Hosni Mubarak," Judge Hassan Hassanein announced on Saturday.

Mubarak's treatment by the courts since being toppled from the presidency during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings has been perceived by his opponents as too lenient and raised doubts about Egypt's transition toward democracy.

Charges against him of conspiring to kill protesters during the uprising, centered around Cairo's Tahrir Square, were dropped, and some of his associates were released from jail.

IN-DEPTH

— Reuters