Egypt military court jails 16 civilians for ‘violence’

By Sayed Fathi

CAIRO (AA) - An Egyptian military court on Saturday sentenced 16 civilians to life for their alleged involvement in violence, according to a defense lawyer.

The defendants were convicted by the court in the coastal city of Alexandria of several counts, including planting explosives in the Nile Delta province of Gharbiya in 2016, Ali Ahmed told Anadolu Agency.

He said half of the defendants were tried in absentia.

Saturday’s verdict is still subject to appeal.

Egypt has been wracked by turmoil since the military deposed Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president, in a 2013 coup.

Since the coup, the Egyptian authorities have waged a relentless crackdown on Morsi’s supporters and members of his Muslim Brotherhood, killing hundreds and throwing tens of thousands behind bars.

In late 2013, Egypt’s military-backed authorities blacklisted the Brotherhood as a “terrorist” organization.