Families of 23* defendants sentenced on Sunday to three years in prison for violating the protest law gathered outside court condemning the verdict. A Cairo Misdemeanour court served prison sentences to activist Sanaa Seif and 22 other defendants arrested on June 21 while taking part in a march calling for the repeal of the protest law and the release of all those arrested on background of the law. “No comment on the verdict,” said Alaa Abdel Fattah, Seif’s brother, outside court after using a religious expression referring the matter to God. The defendants have been referred to a misdemeanour court for illegal assembly, vandalism and displaying force. The defence team will appeal the verdict, said Mohamed Abdel Aziz, director of the Cairo-based al-Haqanya human rights centre and one of the lawyers representing the defendants. Former interim President Adli Mansour issued the protest law on November 24 to regulate peaceful assembly. The law has long been the epicentre of wide criticism by domestic and international human rights organisations which say it violates international standards for peaceful protests. “Keep silently watching us get jailed one by one and watching the students get…
