Egypt imprisons 144 anti-coup activists

An Egyptian military court yesterday sentenced 144 anti-coup activists to prison terms ranging between 15 and 25 years, a legal source revealed.

Two other defendants were acquitted of the charges relating to “storming” police buildings in El-Minya province.

Khaled El-Komi, chairman of the defence team, told the Anadolu Agency that “the case of storming the police station of the city of Abu Qrsas in El-Minya province, during the violent events that followed the dispersal of the two sit-ins on 14 August 2013 in Rabaa and El-Nahda squares in Cairo,” was heard by a military court.

Of those charged, 119 received 25 year terms, 112 of whom were sentenced in absentia, El-Komi explained. A further 25 were handed 15 year sentences.

In March 2015, the public prosecutor referred the 146 defendants to a military court. They were accused of storming a police facility, sabotaging public property, participating in the killing of a number of police officers and citizens, incitement to violence, protesting against the army and police and belonging to a banned group, in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The trial was heard over 11 sessions.