An Alexandria court sentenced Tuesday nine activists, including prominent lawyer Mahienour El-Massry, to two years in prison and an EGP 50,000 fine. The activists were detained and convicted of blocking a road, destroying a police vehicle, protesting without a permit and assaulting a police officer outside the trial of policemen charged with the death of Khaled Said. Arrest warrants for the activists were issued on 9 December and the initial ruling on the case was announced on 2 January, but was appealed by the defence. The activists will be unable to appeal Tuesday's verdict. The protest in question took place in Alexandria on 2 December 2013 and was allegedly organised by Said's mother, who refused to obtain permission from the Ministry of Interior. "The protest is against the police," Said's mother said. "How do you expect us to ask for permission from the institution we are protesting against?" El-Massry is currently facing trial on separate charges for an incident that occurred in March 2013. Allegedly, a number of members of the Al-Dostour Party were "assaulted by members of the Muslim Brotherhood", said Mohamed Ramadan, a lawyer representing the defendants and a witness to the incident.
