5 minors jailed over Red Sea island protests in Egypt

An Egyptian court sentenced five minors to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($11,264) for protesting against a decision to transfer two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, a judicial source and state media said.

More than 200 people were arrested in connection with protests over the islands in April and more than 150 have received jail sentences or fined. Many were later acquitted.

A judicial source told Reuters yesterday that the accusations against the juveniles, all under 18, included protesting without permission and disrupting traffic.

“The ruling was made in absentia and they can appeal it,” the source said.

The protest, which took place on 25 April, was against President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s decision to hand over Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi and Egyptian officials say the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them. A court ruled in June, however, that Egyptian sovereignty over the islands held and could not be given up.