120 Egypt Muslim Brotherhood supporters get 3 years in jail

Cairo, April 16 (IANS) An Egyptian court Wednesday sentenced 120 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood group to three years in jail each over riotous acts in October last year.

As Egypt was commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1973 war against Israel, rival rallies by supporters and opponents of Muslim Brotherhood turned violent, leaving more than 50 people killed in October last year, Xinhua reported.

The defendants faced also charges including unlawful assembly and thuggery.

Following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July last year, his supporters have been holding continual protests against the army-installed government.

In December last year, the authorities declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.

The authorities disbanded Morsi supporters' main sit-ins in Cairo after his removal in August last year, and in an ensuing crackdown more than 1,000 people were killed.

More than 15,000 Islamists, mostly Muslim Brotherhood members, have also been jailed, while hundreds have been sentenced to death after speedy trials.

Its members were also banned by a court ruling Tuesday from running in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.