Summary
23 December 2013
Three of Egypt's most prominent activists from the 2011 uprising have been sentenced to three years in prison. They are the first to be convicted under a controversial new law that restricts demonstrations.
Reporter:
Orla Guerin
The court in Cairo found them guilty of holding a demonstration without authorisation
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Report
The three activists, Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma, and Mohammed Adel were at the forefront of the revolution in 2011. They were founding members of the April 6th Youth Movement which led the revolt against Hosni Mubarak.
The jailing of these leading pro-democracy campaigners will deepen concerns about a growing crackdown on dissent here.
Initially, Islamists were the main target for the authorities – thousands have been detained. But recently dozens of liberal activists have been rounded up for breaching the draconian new law on public protests.
The military installed government maintains that it is on a path to democracy. But to many here that's not how it looks.
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Vocabulary
- at the forefront of
leading
- founding members
the people who were part of a group or organisation when it first started
- crackdown
control of illegal behaviour in a very severe way
- dissent
expression of opinions which are different from the officially accepted ones
- rounded up
gathered; collected
- breaching
breaking; violating
- draconian
very severe
- military installed government
government chosen and kept in place by the armed forces
