The Cairo Criminal Court decided on Saturday that the final verdict in a case of “insulting the judiciary” of former president Mohamed Morsi and 24 others will be issued on 30 September.
The defendants include former members of parliament (MPs) Amr Hamzawy and Mostafa El Naggar among others, human rights activists Alaa Abdel Fattah, and journalist Abdelhalim Andeel.
The defendants are accused of insulting judges and the judiciary through several publications and allegedly using insulting phrases that contain hatred towards the judicial authorities in broadcasts and in statements on social media networks.
Insulting the judiciary is punishable under the provisions of the “assault on public officials while doing their jobs” paragraph in the Egyptian penal code. The penalty ranges from six months to one year in prison as well as including a fine of about EGP 200 to EGP 500.
Morsi is a defendant in several other cases, including killing of protesters, jailbreak, and exchanging information with the Hamas movement to sabotage the nation.
He was elected in office to 2013 as Egypt’s first elected president after the 25 January Revolution and was ousted one year later after mass protests erupted against him.
