International

Egypt: 237 activists on trial for protesting against President al-Sisi

Published

8 years ago

May 1, 2016

Egypt: 237 activists on trial for protesting against President al-Sisi

After an initial case of demonstrations against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, about 237 activists who were involved in the protests have been put on trial according to judicial sources.

The 237 activists appeared in four courts in Cairo and Giza suburb charged with demonstrating without permits, the sources said. The sessions were adjourned. They face jail terms of up to three years if convicted.

Angry protesters stormed the streets of Cairo after al-Sisi’s decision to hand over two islands to Saudi Arabia on the 15th of April with demonstrators calling for the president’s resignation over the decision.

Egypt’s President faces criticism for a government accord putting the uninhabited Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir in Saudi waters.

Security forces dispersed a second protest and arrested at least 382 people, Human Rights Watch said in a report this week.

Saudi and Egyptian officials say the islands belong to the kingdom and were only under Egyptian control because Riyadh had asked Cairo in 1950 to protect them.

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