Egyptian court orders 16 backers of ousted president Morsi jailed for three years.
An Egyptian court has ordered 16 backers of ousted President Mohamed Morsi jailed for three years for involvement in acts of violence and hindering public transport in capital Cairo earlier this month, a judicial source said.
The verdict, which was issued by the Boulaq Misdemeanors’ Court, is not final and can be appealed at a higher court, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.
According to the source, the group was found guilty of involvement in “acts of thuggery” and disrupting transportation services, in central Cairo’s Boulaq Abul Ela district during Egypt’s celebrations of the anniversary of the October 6 victory over Israel.
Backers of the ousted president and several pro-democracy groups staged nationwide demonstrations against what they described as the “military coup” against Morsi on October 6 as the country celebrated the anniversary of the 1973 war.
The ensuing clashes between protesters and policemen left scores of people dead and hundreds injured while scores of pro-democracy activists were rounded up.
Another Cairo court adjourned until November 2 the trial of 155 backers of the ousted president accused of involvement in violence on the same day. The decision was made to give the defense lawyers the chance to review the case documents.
Anatolia News Agency
