Egypt’s military court jails 70 pro-democracy activists

An Egyptian military court yesterday sentenced 70 opponents to prison for their alleged involvement in “violence and riots” which took place in the Minya province, following the Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda massacres in August 2013.

A member of the defence team, Mohammed Samir Al-Farra, told the Anadolu Agency that the Assuit military court in southern Egypt sentenced 17 defendants to five years in jail, while 37 others were given life terms in absentia for storming a government office.

Al-Farra added that the verdict can be appealed within 60 days. Those sentenced in absentia must be retried when captured, he explained.

According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published in August, hundreds of civilians were referred to military courts by Egyptian authorities based on an October 2014 decree by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

The report added that military courts have tried at least 7,420 civilians most of whom have been sentenced after mass trials that violate fundamental rights, including using confessions extracted under torture.