Twenty four people received life imprisonment sentences in Mansoura on Monday for the mob killing of a taxi driver in December. The sentences were handed down by the Terrorism Circuit of the Mansoura Criminal Court. The two dozen defendants allegedly belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, state-run Al-Ahram reported. Brotherhood activities have been banned since a court decision in September and the group was labeled a terrorist organisation by the Egyptian government after a court decision made in December. A 34-year old taxi driver was killed in December by an angry mob after he drove through a protest supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi, and allegedly ran over five protesters. The rally was part of a series of regular protests held by Morsi supporters in the second half of 2013, calling for his reinstatement. The Ministry of Interior said the driver was trying to "make his way" through around 200 protesters when they assaulted him verbally and physically, eventually chasing him and attacking him with bladed weapons when he tried to escape. The Anti-Coup Alliance however, said their protest was entirely peaceful, and accused the driver of driving through the rally at "full speed". Then Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi ordered an exceptional pension for the driver's family. A student rally coincided with the taxi driver's funeral in December, prompting security forces to disperse the rally and arrest 37 students. Earlier this month, the students were given a suspended sentence of two years and released on bail.
