Egypt to try activists over ‘unauthorized’ demo

Egypt’s public prosecutor has ordered the trial of three political activists on charges of taking part in an ‘unauthorized’ protest and an alleged assault on police.

Among those to stand trial is Ahmed Maher, the founder of the April 6 Youth Movement, judicial sources said on Thursday.

The movement played a key role in the popular uprising in 2011 that led to the ouster of former dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

The other two are Ahmed Douma and Mohammed Adel, with the latter to be tried in absentia.

No date has yet been fixed for the trial of the activists, who are to appear before a misdemeanor court.

This is the first case of activists being charged under the provisions of a controversial new protest law which requires organizers to seek a written permit three days ahead of any planned demonstration.

Signed by the interim president, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, in November, the law allows security forces to resort to force and even fire live ammunition against unauthorized protests.

Critics have described the move as an attempt to stifle the right to public protest, while Amnesty International has denounced it for giving security forces “free rein.”

On November 22, the military-backed interim government authorized security forces to enter university campuses without prior permission.

Egypt has been experiencing unrelenting violence since the first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was ousted by the army on July 3.

Hundreds have lost their lives in the ensuing violence across the country.