Egyptian court gives death penalty to 12 Morsi supporters
The 12 were among 23 defendants charged with murder or attempted murder over the shooting during a police raid on an Islamist stronghold in the capital on September 19 that came amid the bloody crackdown that followed the army's overthrow of Morsi in July.
The accused were also charged with "membership of a jihadist organisation". The other 11 remain on the run.
An Egyptian court Wednesday handed down a 15-year jail term to prominent pro-democracy campaigner Alaa Abdel-Fattah, on charges of organizing an unauthorized protest.
It was the latest such conviction for a pro-democracy activist who had been prominent in the 2011 ouster of former presient Hosny Mubarak.
Abdel-Fattah was also charged with: attacking a police officer and stealing his walkie-talkie; inciting rioting; and damaging public property during a protest he staged in November against the referral of civilians to military courts.
Abdel-Fattah was not present Wednesday at the court. The ruling can be appealed.
He played a major role in the 2011 uprising that forced longtime president Hosny Mubarak to step down.
In December, three other leading pro-democracy activists were sentenced to three years in prison each for holding an unauthorized protest.
In November, the military-backed government adopted a controversial law that required organizers to give three days notice to police before holding demonstrations. It also granted law enforcement agents the power to ban any rally deemed a threat to public safety.
Critics say the law is aimed at muzzling political dissent.
The authorities argue it is necessary as a means to curb the violent protests that have hit Egypt since the army deposed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July.
Ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, who was elected president last month, has defended the law in a recent TV interview.
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_0...pporters-0360/
Bookmarks