Summary:
The two sons of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have been released from prison on appeal, state media report.

Full article:
(CNN)The sons of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were released from prison Monday after serving 18 months, according to the state-run MENA news agency. Gamal and Alaa Mubarak had served the maximum pretrial detention allowed. A previous embezzlement conviction of the two sons and their father was overturned this year, but they all face a retrial on the embezzlement charges. The Mubaraks and four new defendants are accused of embezzling $17.9 million allocated for the renovation of presidential palaces. Mubarak was sentenced last year to three years in prison; his sons to four years each. They have maintained their innocence. The Mubaraks appealed, saying their sentences were too harsh. Mubarak ruled Egypt as President for 29 years before he was ousted during the Arab Spring protests. In another case, he was convicted in 2012 of issuing orders to kill peaceful protesters during the country's 2011 uprising and was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed and was granted a new trial last year. In November, he was cleared of those charges and of corruption. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report.