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 After the verdict was read out, chants of "down, down with
military rule" rang out from supporters of Alaa Abdel Fattah crowded
into the courtroom.
Abdel Fattah was a leading secular figure in the 2011 revolt that
toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak. He was first sentenced on the
anti-demonstration charge, along with 24 co-defendants, to 15 years
in absentia before a retrial was ordered.
The blogger and software engineer has been in and out of jail on
various charges since veteran leader Mubarak's fall. He is one of
several well-known activists to have been jailed since the army
overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in mid-2013.
Monday's verdicts saw one other defendant, Ahmed Abdulrahman, also
sentenced to five years, 18 defendants to three years, and others
tried in absentia to 15 years.
Earlier, the same court adjourned to March 8 the trial of two Al
Jazeera television journalists charged with aiding a terrorist
organisation - a reference to Mursi's since banned Muslim
Brotherhood.
Abdulrahman's lawyer, Mohammed Abdelaziz, said his client would
appeal the "unjust" verdict.
'NOT A SINGLE OFFICIAL'
Khaled Dawoud, spokesman for the opposition Dostour Party, said
those responsible for the murder of hundreds of people during the
Mubarak era were still at liberty.
"Not a single official from the Mubarak regime has been sentenced,
not a single police officer," he said.
"We have young Egyptians dying everyday and not a single person gets
sentenced except those who believe in peaceful protest."
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In January, Egypt's high court overturned the only remaining
conviction against Mubarak, opening the way for his possible release
four years after the revolt that toppled him and raised hopes of
greater freedoms in the most populous Arab state.
Egypt's police force, which retreated into the background during
Mubarak's demise, is now viewed as more powerful than ever, with
human rights groups complaining it is rarely prosecuted for abuses.
The Interior Ministry says it investigates any allegations of
wrongdoing by policemen.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief, has cracked
down on Islamist opponents, and liberal activists like Abdel Fattah
who defy authorities have also been rounded up.
By contrast, Mubarak-era figures are slowly being cleared of
charges.
(Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Michael Georgy and John
Stonestreet)
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