(Photo by Aaron T. Rose/DNE )
The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Saturday a Syrian citizen to life imprisonment on charges of murdering six people in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo last July, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
The defendant and another defendant, an Egyptian citizen, were convicted of shooting citizens and police officers and prosecution authorities charged them with terrorism.
The prosecution also accused them of inciting violence, vandalising, terrorising and murdering the citizens, in addition of attempts of killing the police officers stationed in Tahrir Square.
Violent incidents started during protests under the Muslim Brotherhood regime in 2012, and by June 2013, a rebel movement named Tamarod called for large demonstrations on 30 June to demand early elections.
Mass protests demanded former president Mohamed Morsi step down, while his supporters organised sit-ins in his favour, mainly in Rabaa Al-Adaweya, which was dispersed by force. Hundreds were left dead following Morsics ouster on 3 July in a speech announced by Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi who was the Minister of Defence at the time.
Protests in the following months were characterised by violent clashes with security forces, arrests and mass trials mostly for people accused of supporting the now banned Muslim Brotherhood.
