Egypt court jails son of Brotherhood leader on protest charges

An Egyptian court has jailed Khaled Beltagi, the son of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Beltagi, in absentia on charges of illegal protest, a defense lawyer said.

Beltagi’s son was slapped with a two-year jail term and a 50,000 pound ($6,000) fine last week, lawyer Faisal al-Rawi told Anadolu Agency.

“Neither his family or lawyers knew about the verdict,” he said.

Beltagi junior had been detained by Egyptian police in September on charges of staging illegal protests, a charge his family has denounced as fabricated. In November, an Egyptian court released him on bail, but Egyptian prosecutors challenged the verdict.

January’15: Egypt police arrests Beltagi’s 16-year old son

Beltagi senior was arrested by Egyptian forces in 2013 following the violent dispersal of two Cairo sit-ins held in support of President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader who was ousted in a military coup during the same year.

Beltagi’s daughter, Asmaa, was killed during the sit-in dispersal, which left hundreds of pro-Morsi protesters dead.

The Brotherhood leader has been slapped with three separate death sentences for allegedly committing acts of violence and conspiring with Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah with a view to carrying out “terrorist acts” in Egypt.

Since 2013, the Brotherhood has remained the target of a harsh crackdown by Egyptian authorities.

Hundreds of Brotherhood members were killed and tens of thousands were thrown behind bars.