Thursday, December 5, 2013

Egypt charges three top activists over Cairo protest

Ahmed Maher
Ahmed Maher, centre left, the leader of the April 6 youth group that helped lead the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, tries to hand himself in to prosecutors. Photograph: Ahmed Omar/AP
Fears over rights to protest after Cairo prosecutor charges leading April 6 movement activists for protesting without permission
The Guardian
"Egypt's public prosecutor referred leading political activist Ahmed Maher for trial on Thursday on charges that include protesting without permission, a judicial official said.
It was the first case of an activist being charged under the provisions of a new law criticised for stifling the right to protest.
Wael Shibl, the prosecutor, said Maher faced other charges including assaulting police and "resisting the authorities".
Two other activists being investigated in the same case were also referred for trial for allegedly assaulting the police and resisting the authorities. Shibl had said earlier that all three had been charged with protesting without permission.
Maher is founder of the April 6 movement, which helped ignite the historic 2011 uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak. The other two activists are Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel."

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