Egyptian Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah Sentenced to Jail
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Mohamed Hossam/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(CAIRO) — A prominent Egyptian activist involved in the 2011 uprising in Egypt has been sentenced to five years in prison despite the government’s promises to release citizens wrongly jailed during demonstrations.
There was an uproar in the courtroom Monday during the sentencing of Alaa Abdel Fattah, who had been charged with violating a protest law in 2013 during demonstrations. He had previously been sentenced to 15 years in jail for the offense, reports BBC News.
The trial has been widely criticized by human rights groups who have linked his case to political motivations. Fattah was a software engineer and well-known blogger who rose to prominence during the 2011 revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak who had controlled Egypt for 30 years.
A lawyer for Fattah said there are plans for an appeal.
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