Cairo Criminal Court dispensed harsh prison sentences for 18 of the total 104 defendants involved in the Boulaq Aboul Ela case on Saturday.
Two defendants were handed life sentences and another 16 defendants were awarded 15-year prison sentences. The remaining defendants have been acquitted.
The defendants were accused of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, as well as armed movements. They are also charged with attempted murder, obstruction of the law, violent assault, resisting authorities, assaulting citizens, damaging public and private property, as well as possession of weapons.
The case concerned the violent clashes that took place around Boulaq Aboul Ela police station in 2013, following the dispersal of Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda protests that were in support of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Since the ouster of Morsi, the state labelled the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group and banned its activates. In addition, several violent clashes between Brotherhood supporters and security forces have taken place which have resulted in several deaths.
