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| Egypt jails girls over pro-Morsi demonstration | Egypt jails girls over pro-Morsi demonstration |
| (1 day later) | |
| A court in Egypt has sentenced 21 female supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi to 11 years in prison. | A court in Egypt has sentenced 21 female supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi to 11 years in prison. |
| They were found guilty of multiple charges, including belonging to a terrorist group, obstructing traffic, sabotage and using force at a protest in the city of Alexandria last month. | They were found guilty of multiple charges, including belonging to a terrorist group, obstructing traffic, sabotage and using force at a protest in the city of Alexandria last month. |
| Seven are under the age of 18 and will be sent to a juvenile detention centre. | |
| Human rights groups criticised the sentences, with one campaigner describing the verdict as madness. | Human rights groups criticised the sentences, with one campaigner describing the verdict as madness. |
| The women and girls had taken part in an early morning demonstration in support of Mr Morsi. | The women and girls had taken part in an early morning demonstration in support of Mr Morsi. |
| Relatives say it was the first protest by the group, called the 7am movement, and that it was peaceful. | Relatives say it was the first protest by the group, called the 7am movement, and that it was peaceful. |
| One family told the BBC their 15-year-old daughter was only passing by on her way to school. | One family told the BBC their 15-year-old daughter was only passing by on her way to school. |
| A defence lawyer said the women expected to be sentenced to a month in jail at most. | A defence lawyer said the women expected to be sentenced to a month in jail at most. |
| But the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says that instead they have been given longer jail terms than police convicted of killing or seriously injuring civilians. | But the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says that instead they have been given longer jail terms than police convicted of killing or seriously injuring civilians. |
| 'Struggle against terrorism' | 'Struggle against terrorism' |
| The court also sentenced six Muslim Brotherhood leaders to 15 years in prison for inciting the protest. | The court also sentenced six Muslim Brotherhood leaders to 15 years in prison for inciting the protest. |
| One report said the men had been tried in absentia. | One report said the men had been tried in absentia. |
| The verdicts come after the arrest of dozens of secular activists in Cairo, including another group of women who say they were beaten, harassed and left stranded in the desert. | The verdicts come after the arrest of dozens of secular activists in Cairo, including another group of women who say they were beaten, harassed and left stranded in the desert. |
| They were demonstrating against a stringent new law which all but bans public protests, part of a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against "terrorism". | They were demonstrating against a stringent new law which all but bans public protests, part of a crackdown the interim authorities have portrayed as a struggle against "terrorism". |
| Also some 17 clerics linked to the Islamist movement to which Mr Morsi belongs were arrested in the Nile Delta town of Gharbiya, the state news agency Mena reported. | Also some 17 clerics linked to the Islamist movement to which Mr Morsi belongs were arrested in the Nile Delta town of Gharbiya, the state news agency Mena reported. |
| They are accused of using mosques and sermons to incite unrest against the army and police. | They are accused of using mosques and sermons to incite unrest against the army and police. |
| Mena also said that eight people would be put on trial on charges of abducting and torturing a lawyer during the 2011 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. | Mena also said that eight people would be put on trial on charges of abducting and torturing a lawyer during the 2011 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. |
| The defendants include Mahmoud al-Khodeiry, a former judge close to the Brotherhood, Osama Yassin, who served as youth minister under Mr Morsi, and Ahmed Mansour, a presenter for al-Jazeera television. | The defendants include Mahmoud al-Khodeiry, a former judge close to the Brotherhood, Osama Yassin, who served as youth minister under Mr Morsi, and Ahmed Mansour, a presenter for al-Jazeera television. |
| Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes since security forces cleared two sit-ins in Cairo by people demanding Mr Morsi's reinstatement in August. | Hundreds of people have also been killed in clashes since security forces cleared two sit-ins in Cairo by people demanding Mr Morsi's reinstatement in August. |