The Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights' (ESCR) lawyer Khaled Ali submitted an appeal on Tuesday against a verdict issued earlier by the Cairo Criminal Court against 22 protesters in the case dubbed as the "Shura Council Trial". In December 2013, the group of activists protested in front of the Shura Council against an article in the constitutional draft issued by the former interim government that stipulates the referral of civilians to military courts. Two of the defendants, including renowned political activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, were sentenced to five years in prison, while the other defendants were sentenced to three years and an EGP 100,000 fine. The defendants were charged with violating the Protest Law and disturbing national security. The final verdict was issued one day later, after President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi announced in a speech that he will release some political detainees. The ESCR has previously expressed its condemnation of the verdict, along with other rights groups in Egypt. They said there have been similar verdicts recently issued against youth who used their constitutional right in expressing their sentiments, while there have been acquittals for old regime figures who committed corruption, killing and fraud crimes.
