Egypt Al-Azhar University expels 76 students

Authorities in Egypt’s Al-Azhar University have expelled 76 students from the different faculties of the university over their alleged “involvement in riots.”

MENA news agency reported on Sunday that the decision had been made after “the investigation proved the students took part in activities which violate university regulations.”

It added 36 female students from the university’s branch in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig were among those expelled by Al-Azhar authorities.

Al-Azhar has been the scene of anti-government protests with continuous clashes between security forces and students.

Dozens of student protesters have been tried for opposing Egypt’s military-appointed authorities since the start of the academic year in August.

Egyptian security forces are accused of heavy-handed crackdown and random arrests during the protests. Several students have died in the clashes with the police.

Egypt has been experiencing violence since the country’s first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted on July 3, 2013.

Rights groups say at least 1,400 people have been killed in the political violence since Morsi’s ouster, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”

An Egyptian court also has recently sentenced hundreds of members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, including its leader Mohamed Badie, to death.