CAIRO: An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced 23 men to 14 years in jail without parole over the killing of four Shiite Muslims in 2013, judicial sources said.

The four Shiites, one of whom was a prominent cleric, were killed in June 2013 when a mob stormed a house in a small village near Cairo.

The crowd threw petrol bombs at the house, which caught fire, and the victims’ bodies were dragged through the streets.

Egypt is predominantly Sunni Muslim and Shiites, who form only a small minority of the 90 million-strong population, keep a low profile.

Eight other defendants were acquitted of charges related to the Shiite killings. The defense said it would appeal Saturday’s ruling.

Also on Saturday, Egypt’s High Court upheld a one-year jail sentence for Abdallah Mursi, son of former President Mursi, who was convicted of abusing cannabis.

Abdallah Mursi denies the charges.

The same court also upheld the acquittal of former Housing Minister Ahmed El-Maghrabi of corruption charges. Maghrabi who served in government under Hosni Mubarak, whose 30-year rule was ended by a popular uprising in 2011.

Mubarak-era figures who after the uprising were tried for corruption or other abuses of power are increasingly being cleared.

Along with the introduction of new laws, this trend is raising fears that the old leadership is regaining influence.