Egypt military-installed prosecutors have sentenced the spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party to 15-day detention over allegations of inciting violence against security forces.
The Saturday jail sentence against Yasser Mehrez was issued following his detention on Friday on accusations of stirring violence against police in the capital, Cairo, and the nearby Giza District, according to local press reports.
Mehrez was reportedly further questioned about recent bombings against military and police targets.
The Brotherhood spokesperson has denied the allegations.
Since the July 2013 ouster of Egypt’s first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, several bombings and shooting attacks have targeted police and military officers.
Most of the attacks have been carried out in the restive Sinai Peninsula, though in recent months some terrorist attacks have also taken place in the Nile Delta and Cairo.
Egyptian authorities blame the Brotherhood for the attacks and have blacklisted it as a “terrorist group,” but the Brotherhood strongly rejects allegations of involvement in the attacks.
Amnesty International says at least 1,400 people have been killed in the turmoil since Morsi’s ouster.
Most of the victims have been killed due to “excessive force used by security forces,” Amnesty says.
Some 15,000 people have also been detained by the military-backed government ever since.
Egypt judiciary sentenced nearly 530 Morsi supporters to death last month in the largest mass death sentencing in the modern history of the country. The verdict drew harsh criticisms from human rights groups and the international community.
MFB/HSN
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