( 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 .
Hosni Mubarak 's two sons have been released from prison . The family of the former president and his son Gamal were arrested in a crackdown on protests that began last week. They face embezzlement charges .