(AFP Photo / Khaled Desouki)
The Cairo Criminal Court on Monday postponed the trial of political activist and blogger Ahmed Douma and 268 others, moving the trial to 9 July.
The date for the trial was purported to be adjusted because of the re-announcement for the Radio and Television Union’s technical committee, and so that the court could further examine confiscated material, reported state-owned Al-Ahram.
The detainees are facing charges for attacking the cabinet building and security personnel, as well as setting fire to the Scientific Institute in Cairo in 2011.
The 2011 cabinet clashes ignited when demonstrators organised a sit-in at the cabinet headquarters protesting the Supreme Council of Armed Force’s appointment of Kamal Al-Ganzouri as prime minister. The military police attempted to disperse the demonstration, however the sit-in persisted for four days, and resulted in deadly clashes.
On 22 December, Douma, alongside Ahmed Maher, co-founder of the 6 April Youth Movement, and Mohamed Adel, a co-founder and member of 6 April’s political bureau, were convicted of violating the Protest Law, rioting, committing “thuggery”, assaulting Abdeen courthouse security personnel, and possessing melee weapons.
The three were sentenced to three years of hard labour and fined EGP 50,000.
