An Alexandria misdeameanour appeal court acquitted on Wednesday 11 defendants, including 7 lawyers, of charges of organizing an Illegal protest in June 2017 against parliament's decison to vote on the 2016 Red Sea island deal between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. A lower court had earlier fined seven of the defendants EGP 350,000 for violating the 2013 protest law by demonstrating without a permit. On 14 June, the Egyptian parliament voted to approve the Red Sea island deal, which transfered sovereignty over the two islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified the agreement on the 24th of the same month.
