Amid a series of ongoing trials following protests that took place on 25 April against the Egypt-Saudi maritime demarcation agreement, a misdemeanour court at Tora Police Institute adjourned on Tuesday the case of 51 young defendants to the session of 31 May.
The case includes 28 detained defendants and 23 others that were released. It is the only case among four others in the same incident for which verdicts have yet to be issued, “simply because it’s a different judge, unrelated to specific legal procedures”, Al-Haqanya manager and rights lawyer said in comments to Daily News Egypt.
This comes as more than 100 young people already received prison sentences ranging from two to five years, in addition to heavy fines for some up to EGP 100,000. The three other cases include several minors, who are not in police custody but are facing trial, according to the Front to Defend Protesters’ lawyers.
Protesters who had chanted that Tiran and Sanafir islands were Egyptian territory that could not be transferred to Saudi Arabia received solidarity even from pro-state figures, who opposed acts of repression by the regime and the oppression of the youth.
A Protest Law has been enforced since 2013, banning general assemblies without prior notification to authorities.
