Three judges charged with attempting to break into the High Court building and injuring employees have had their convictions overturned. Meanwhile six other protesters were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment for destruction of public property and injuring four staff members at the court.
Al-Azbakiya Appeals Misdemeanour Court on Sunday overturned the two year sentences handed down to judges Ahmed Al-Shafei, Mohamed Al-Morshedy, and Karim Mohamed Ahmed.
On the same day, six protesters received two year sentences for destruction of public property and injuring four staff members at the court. They were also accused of attempting to break into the High Court building. The ages of the convicted defendants range from 16 to 28 years old. The North Cairo Elementary Court in Al-Abbaseya reached its decision during its sixth hearing.
The defendants and their families had alleged that security personnel severely assaulted those arrested when they were detained in Al-Azbakiya police station and tortured them during their detention at Qanatr prison. The mother of Mohamed Atef, one of those sentenced to two years, claimed he was forced to drink soapy water and strip naked in front of prison guards while held on remand.
Many of the family members and an activist group called Campaign for the Liberation of Prisoners of the Revolution say those convicted were involved in peaceful demonstrations throughout 2011 and were present at the High Court building purely to take part in the protests that had taken place there.
On 6 June a group of protesters were dispersed by an unknown group of men in front of Cairo’s High Court building after demonstrating against the eligibility of former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq and for the independence of the judiciary.
Those who attacked protesters set fire to tents and damaged the outside of the High Court building.
