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Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been sentenced to life imprisonment for his failing to adequately act against the killing of protesters during last year's uprising. Mubarak is the first former leader to be tried in person since the start of the Arab Spring in early 2011. Former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly also got a life sentence over the deaths of innocent demonstrators, The BBC reports. Gamal and Alaa, Mubarak's two sons were set free on separate charges of corruption due to lack of evidence. Mubarak, who ruled the country for 30 years, had faced a potential death sentence over the killing of about 850 protesters by security forces last year. Shouting and jostling between rival groups exploded in the court after the verdict was read out. Judge Ahmed Refaat insisted the 10-month trial had been a fair one, and said Egyptian people had suffered 30 years of darkness under Mubarak's rule. However, according to analysts, the verdict is likely to be seriously challenged when it comes up for appeal in the Supreme Court, due to the badly prepared case by the prosecution, in the absence of credible evidence.

Former Egyptian president Mubarak sentenced to life imprisonment