The Cairo Criminal Court handed 17 supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi sentences between three and seven years each on Wednesday.
The defendants were accused of inciting riots in the Cairo district of Shubra last July, shortly after Morsi’s military-backed ouster, according to state-owned Al-Ahram. Other charges included “thuggery”, attempted murder, possession of unlicenced firearms and ammunition and use of violence that disturbed public security.
The verdict is the latest handed down to Morsi supporters under charges of violence in connection with the unrest in Egypt since last July.
“All these sentences are void and illegal from an illegal [and politicised] judicial system,” said Wafaa Al-Banna, an acting spokeswoman for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Last week 33 Morsi supporters were each sentenced to 6 years by the Montazah Misdemeanour Court and fined EGP 50,000. The defendants were charged with belonging to a “banned” organisation (in reference to the Muslim Brotherhood), exercising violence, “terrorising citizens”, violating the Protest Law, and assaulting security officials.
They had been arrested amid violent clashes that broke out in the Alexandria district of Sidi Beshr last December.
