CAIRO — An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced 51 people to two years in prison for taking part in protests last month, officials said.
Nearly 300 people have been arrested and charged for taking part in the demonstrations against Egypt’s decision to transfer control of two strategic Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia as part of a border demarcation agreement negotiated in near total secrecy.
The 51 were convicted of breaking a 2013 law that effectively bans protests.
The officials said 18 of the 51 were sentenced in absentia. Thirteen minors were referred to juvenile court over the protests, they added. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
April’s protests were the largest since President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was elected in 2014. As military chief, el-Sissi had led the overthrow President Mohammed Morsi a year earlier amid massive demonstrations demanding the Islamist leader step down.
Also on Saturday, activist Sanaa Abdel-Fattah gave herself up to start a six-month sentence passed against her last week for insulting the judiciary.
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