CAIRO, August 23 (RAPSI) - Egypt's ex-president Hosni Mubarak has been placed under house arrest and taken to a military hospital in Cairo, RIA Novosti reported.

A judge ruled earlier on Wednesday that 85-year-old Mubarak could be released from prison pending further investigation into corruption charges against him. Prosecutors said they would not appeal the decision.

Mubarak, who was overthrown in February 2011 after an 18-day popular uprising, has already spent more than two years in pre-trial detention. In June 2012 he was sentenced to life imprisonment "for failure to stop the killing of protesters by the Egyptian security forces during the revolt," which left over 800 people dead and 6,000 injured. Mubarak was also charged with selling gas to Israel at a reduced price.

Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi while acting in the capacity of deputy military commander issued late Wednesday evening the decision to release Mubarak from prison and place him under house arrest, where he will be waiting for retrial in case of killing protesters in 2011.

The court hearing is scheduled for August 25.