Morsi supporters get lengthy jail sentences over unrest

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Morsi supporters get lengthy jail sentences over unrest


Thousands of Morsi supporters took to the streets across Egypt on Tuesday




A military court in Egypt has given supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi lengthy prison sentences after convicting them of attacking the army.
One person was jailed for life, three people to 15 years and 45 others to five years, a military statement said.
The defendants were accused of opening fire at soldiers during riots in the port city of Suez last month.
The riots followed a deadly crackdown by security forces on two pro-Morsi protest camps in the capital, Cairo.
Hundreds of people, mostly members of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, were killed when the sit-ins outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque and at Nahda Square were cleared on 14 August.
The unrest in Suez, 140km (87 miles) to the east of Cairo, on 14 and 16 August left more than 30 dead.
It is not clear if those convicted on Tuesday are Brotherhood members. But if they are, the verdicts would be the first affecting the Islamist group since the military launched a campaign against it after ousting Mr Morsi.
Earlier, military sources said 11 Morsi supporters had got life sentences.

'Internal and external forces'

State prosecutors announced on 1 September that after almost two months in detention at a secret location, Mr Morsi would stand trial for inciting murder and violence.
The charges relate to the deaths of at least seven people during clashes between opposition protesters and Brotherhood supporters outside the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo in December 2012.
Fourteen other senior Brotherhood figures, including Mohammed al-Beltagi and Essam al-Erian, will be tried on the same charge.
The group's general guide, Mohammed Badie, has also been arrested.



The military has increased security near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque


Also on Tuesday, a court in Cairo ordered the closure of four television stations, including the Brotherhood's Ahrar 25 TV and al-Jazeera's Egyptian affiliate Mubasher Misr, saying they were operating illegally.
The stations were seen by the authorities as being sympathetic to the Brotherhood.
In the evening, thousands of supporters of Mr Morsi took to the streets in towns and cities across Egypt to denounce the military-backed interim government.
The marches in the capital, the Nile Delta, Upper Egypt and along the Suez Canal were held under the slogan "The coup is terrorism", a reference to the government's portrayal of its crackdown on the Brotherhood as a fight against terrorism.
Hundreds of people in Nasr City, an eastern suburb of Cairo, chanted "the revolution will continue" and "down with military rule", according to the Reuters news agency.
Interim President Adly Mansour warned that "internal and external forces" would "spare no effort to block the implementation" of his transition plan, which envisages an amended constitution to be put to a referendum within months and parliamentary elections to be held by early 2014.
"We have seen the violent incidents witnessed by the country. In their own words, they are trying to paralyse Egypt," he told state-run Nile News.
"The state, with all its agencies, will not allow any party to stand before satisfying the aspirations of the people," he added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23949657

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Egypt shuts down four TV stations





An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of four television channels that have been accused of sympathising with the Muslim Brotherhood.
They include the Brotherhood's own station, Ahrar 25, and the Egyptian arm of Al-Jazeera.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian army has launched helicopter strikes against suspected militant targets in the Sinai peninsula, killing a number of people.
The army is trying to assert control over the area bordering Gaza.
The closure of the television stations follows a crackdown on media seen as sympathetic to the deposed President Mohammed Morsi, who was overthrown by the army on 3 July, and the Muslim Brotherhood he comes from.

Analysis

Sebastian Usher BBC News Arab affairs analyst



Al-Jazeera, and in particular its Egyptian station Mubashir Misr, has been criticised by many Egyptians who took to the streets demanding the resignation of the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, as too close to the Muslim Brotherhood.
As soon as Mr Morsi was ousted by the military, many media outlets that supported the Brotherhood were suspended.
The reputation of Al-Jazeera has taken a hit over its Egyptian coverage, with some viewers accusing it of bias.
Qatar, which finances the network, was a major backer of Mr Morsi.

Several channels were forced off the air following the military intervention.
Now, an administrative court in Cairo has ordered Al-Jazeera's Mubashir Misr outlet to be shut down, along with Ahrar 25 and two other Islamist channels, Al-Quds and Al-Yarmuk.
On Monday, Egypt expelled three foreign journalists working for Al-Jazeera's English language channel, saying they did not have correct press accreditation.
Mr Morsi is in custody awaiting trial.
Prosecutors announced this week that he will be tried on charges of inciting the murder of protesters last year.

Railway standstill

The Muslim Brotherhood has called for protests in Cairo on Tuesday, under the slogan: "The coup is terrorism."
The state news agency, Mena, says security forces have sealed off some roads in the capital, and military vehicles are blocking the entrances to Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Tahrir Square.
A resumption in national rail services has also been postponed.
No trains have run for 17 days, but they were due to start again on Tuesday.
However, a source at Egypt's railway operator told the al-Masry al-Youm news website that had been delayed until Wednesday "for security reasons".

Sinai strikes

Separately, Egypt's government continued its battle against Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula on Tuesday, with helicopters launching a series of strikes.
At least eight people - said by security sources to be militants - were reported to have been killed, and others injured.
Three houses were destroyed and part of a nearby mosque was damaged, a witness told the Associated Press.
The military said weapons caches were destroyed.
Islamist attacks in the Sinai surged following the overthrow of Mr Morsi, and the army has been trying to re-assert control.
It has been targeting tunnels used by militants and smugglers under the border with Gaza.
Thirteen homes in the Rafah border town were bulldozed in the past two weeks and tunnels caved in to prepare for a possible buffer zone, according to officials.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23941208