CAIRO: Egyptian military courts acquitted 40 defendants that stood trial for violence and vandalism during the June 28 and 29 incidents, according to the El Nadim Center for Psychological Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture. The center claims that some testifying officers could not recognize the detainees. Defense attorneys filed motions to dismiss the charges and they were promptly granted. The court also suspended two prison sentences handed out to Hassan Mahmoud and Karim Sayed on August 2. According to Mahmoud's brother in a press conference on Saturday, Mahmoud was “randomly arrested while getting out of Sadat Metro Station to buy shoes,” “He was not chanting or anything, and he was beaten up by the military police inside the courtroom for talking with his lawyer.” The military council has been criticized for discriminating among protesters, releasing only the most well known of them due to the media response. Jailed blogger Maikel Nabil began a hunger strike on Tuesday after being served with a three-year prison sentence earlier this year. BM
