87 MB supporters sentenced to 3 years in prison for rioting

Eighty-seven Muslim Brotherhood supporters were sentenced to three years in prison by the Cairo Misdemeanor Court on Thursday, reported the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.

The defendants were found guilty of attacking police forces, blocking the road, thuggery, rioting, vandalizing private and public property and protesting without notifying security authorities in violation of the Protest Law.

The charges stemmed from clashes that occurred in the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood in east Cairo on November 29 between neighborhood residents and Brotherhood protesters. Police forces intervened to quell the clashes using tear gas and pellet shots.

The controversial Protest Law was issued in November. It obliges protest organizers to notify the nearest police station within 24 hours of a demonstration as to the location, time and goals of the protest, as well as the names and contact information of the organizers. The legislation provoked local and international condemnation for its restrictions on the freedom of assembly and expression.

Also on Thursday, the Benha prosecution ordered the detention of three Brotherhood members for 15 days pending investigation into terrorism charges, the state-run Middle East News Agency (MENA) reported.

The three defendants were arrested while allegedly hiding in a flat in the northern city of Benha. Police forces confiscated materials allegedly used to manufacture homemade bombs.

The prosecution accused the three Brotherhood members of training to manufacture homemade bombs for a series of planned terrorist attacks meant to intimidate citizens out of participating in next week’s constitutional referendum.

The defendants were planning “an obvious activity inciting against state institutions,” the investigations claimed.

In addition, the Cairo Criminal Court set a February 2 court date for the trial of 62 Brotherhood members accused of attempted murder and other charges pursuant to clashes at Ramses Square in July, MENA reported.

The defendants are accused of attempted murder, thuggery, using force against police, illegal arms possession, vandalizing public and private property and blocking roads.

The most serious charge levied against the defendants is setting fire to the Ramses police checkpoint after failing to burn down the Azbakeya Police Station located close to the square.