Egypt sentences prominent activist to five years in jail

CAIRO - An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to five years in prison over charges of organizing unlicensed protests and inciting violence, state-run Nile TV reported.

Blogger Abdel Fattah was one of the leading activists who spearheaded the massive protests that toppled president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

He was also fined 100,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly 13,000 U.S. dollars.)

The presiding judge dismissed other charges against Abdel Fattah of assaulting policemen and robbing weapons.

Abdel Fattah was sentenced in June last year to 15 years in jail along with 24 others over organizing anti-government protests without police permit, inciting violence and attacking policemen outside the Shura Council building (the upper house of parliament).

He appealed the ruling and the Court of Cassation ordered a retrial in September.

The other 24 defendants were sentenced to three to 15 years in jail.