The Alexandria Juvenile Misdemeanour Appeal Court released 78 imprisoned minors convicted for illegally protesting and joining a banned organisation.
In November, a first degree court had sentenced the minors, aged between 15 and 17, to between two and five year prison terms.
Ahmed El-Hamrawy, one of the youths’ lawyers, said the judge decided to release them on parole because he thought “the time they spent in jail is enough”.
The minors were arrested during different protests in Alexandria between January and May this year. They were convicted for participating in unlicensed demonstrations, joining the Muslim Brotherhood, and possessing weapons and explosives.
The government banned the Muslim Brotherhood in December 2013, criminalising all related activities, including financing and membership, following the army’s ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
Ahmed El-Ghamry, one of the minors lawyers, said: “Children were convicted in 25 separate cases and all of them were convicted for protesting, possessing weapons and explosives and also for belonging to Muslim Brotherhood which authorities consider a terrorist group, however, today’s ruling did justice to the children,” Anadolu news agency reported.
Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat ordered the release of 130 students and minors detained and under investigation in relation to cases regarding recent events in Egypt. In a statement, the Public Prosecutor’s Office clarified that the decision was taken in order to preserve the academic futures of the students and minors in question and also for the occasion of Prophet Mohamed’s Birthday holiday.
