Egypt court acquits 169 Morsi backers

Judicial sources say an Egyptian court has acquitted 169 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi accused of taking part in riots.

An Egyptian court has acquitted 169 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi over protest violence last year, judicial sources say.

The army-installed government has rounded up thousands of Morsi's supporters and put them on trial in mass hearings since his ouster by the military in July last year.

The often speedy mass trials have jailed hundreds for lengthy terms and even handed down death sentences, triggering international outrage.

The 169 defendants were accused of taking part in "riots" during a violent protest in Cairo on August 14, when police killed hundreds of Morsi supporters at two sit-ins in the capital.

A relentless crackdown on Morsi's mostly Islamist backers since his ouster has killed more than 1400 people, and seen 15,000 others jailed.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world