Three prominent activists have gone on trial in Egypt for defying a controversial protest law recently approved by the military-backed interim government.
After an opening session that lasted around four hours on Sunday, the Egyptian court said that on December 22 it would announce its verdict for Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma, and Mohamed Adel, who have been charged with taking part in demonstrations.
The three activists, who also participated in the country’s 2011 uprising, agreed to the removal of former President Mohamed Morsi but were against the army’s crackdown.
The three also face other charges, including assaulting police officers.
Maher and Douma, who have denied the accusations, were ordered to remain in detention until the next hearing, while Adel was being tried in absentia.
"We will pursue our struggle inside and outside (the prison), the authority which is using the judiciary to put us in jail will fall," Douma said.
Maher and Douma were arrested when Maher turned himself in for questioning on suspicions that he had organized an illegal protest in front of a court in the capital Cairo on November 30.
According to the new protest law, approved on November 24, gatherings of more than 10 people require a written permit three days prior to the protest and security forces are allowed to resort to force and even fire live ammunition against unauthorized protests.
Rights group Amnesty International has denounced the new law, saying it “gives security forces free rein."
On November 22, the government authorized security forces to enter university campuses without prior permission.
Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted on July 3. Hundreds have lost their lives in the ensuing violence across the country.
The Egyptians launched a revolution against Mubarak’s pro-Israeli regime on January 25, 2011, which eventually brought an end to the 30-year dictatorship of Mubarak on February 11, 2011.
NT/HN/AS
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