Egypt court acquits 169 Morsi backers of protest violence

15,000 Muslim Brotherhood backers remain in prison after sweeping crackdown

By AFP 19 May 2014, 5:43 pm

Edit

A supporter of ousted President Mohammed Morsi holds a poster, left, with Arabic that reads, "freedom to Waleed Abdel Aziz, fourth team, faculty of chemistry, geology," during a demonstration inside Cairo University in Egypt on Monday, March 24, 2014. (photo credit: AP Photo/Ahmed Abd El Latef, El Shorouk)

An Egyptian court on Monday acquitted 169 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi over protest violence last year, judicial sources said.

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 1,400 people, and seen 15,000 others jailed.