Cairo's Court for Urgent Matters sentenced Sunday three defendants to life imprisonment for founding and belonging to a "terror cell". The group is known in Egyptian media as the "Al-Zaytoun cell" and aimed to overthrow the government. Of the 25 defendants, 1 was sentenced to 10 year imprisonment, two others were given seven years in prison, while the rest were acquitted. The Supreme State Security Prosecution has accused the defendants of founding and joining a group, named "Secret Loyalty and Disavowal", in violation of the law. The charges against the defendants include calling to disable the provisions of the constitution and the law, preventing state institutions and public authorities from exercising their work, attacking the personal freedom of citizens, calling for a forcible regime change, defaming the president and inciting attacks against police personnel, tourists and Christians. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said in May that security forces had broken up 40 "terror cells" and arrested 225 suspected militants since the previous month.
