{"id":24026,"date":"2014-06-11T11:41:57","date_gmt":"2014-06-11T11:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=24026"},"modified":"2014-06-11T11:41:57","modified_gmt":"2014-06-11T11:41:57","slug":"egypt-activist-jailed-for-15-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2014\/06\/egypt-activist-jailed-for-15-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Egypt activist jailed for 15 years"},"content":{"rendered":"

A court in Egypt has sentenced one of the country’s most prominent pro-democracy activists, Alaa Abdul Fattah, to 15 years in jail for illegal protest and attacking a police officer.<\/p>\n

Mr Abdul Fattah’s family said the verdict was issued in absentia as he was refused entry into the court.<\/p>\n

Mr Abdul Fattah played a key role in the 2011 revolt against Hosni Mubarak.<\/p>\n

The sentence comes three days after ex-army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi took office as president.<\/p>\n

The authorities have cracked down harshly on Islamists and secular activists since former President Mohammed Morsi was removed by the military in July 2013.<\/p>\n

Hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested.<\/p>\n

‘Concerns about democracy’<\/p>\n

Mr Abdul Fattah was arrested in November after taking part in a protest calling for the repeal of a new law that banned unauthorised demonstrations.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, his mother Laila Soueif told the BBC Mr Abdul Fattah had not been allowed into the court for the verdict.<\/p>\n

“Alaa and his lawyers were outside the court. They were refused entry,” she said.<\/p>\n

“There was not justification for the judge to issue this verdict in absentia… we expected a court hearing with the prosecution and witnesses speaking.<\/p>\n

\"Egyptians<\/div>\n
Mr Sisi won May’s elections with nearly 97% of the vote<\/div>\n

“I believe that the judicial system in Egypt has nothing to do whatsoever with law and justice.”<\/p>\n

She added that the family would challenge the verdict.<\/p>\n

The campaigner was previously detained under Mr Mubarak’s government and questioned over demonstrations against the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.<\/p>\n

The harsh sentence will deepen concerns about democracy and free speech in Egypt, the BBC’s Orla Guerin in Cairo reports.<\/p>\n

In a recent BBC interview, Mr Abdul Fattah said the authorities intended to jail him for a very long time, and the current regime was worse than Mubarak’s, our correspondent adds.<\/p>\n

\"File<\/div>\n
Activists have demonstrated against a crackdown on activists and a law restricting protests<\/div>\n

The new president, Mr Sisi, won 96.9% of the vote in May’s elections.<\/p>\n

However, turnout was below 50%, as Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and some liberal and secular activists urged a boycott of the poll.<\/p>\n

Mr Sisi’s victory came almost a year after he ousted Mr Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, following mass protests against his rule.<\/p>\n

Mr Morsi’s predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down after mass anti-government protests in 2011, following nearly three decades in power.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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