Egypt Military Court Jails 26 Officers For `Coup` Plot

  17 August 2015    Read: 879
Egypt Military Court Jails 26 Officers For `Coup` Plot
An Egyptian military court has reportedly jailed 26 army officers and two civilians on charges of planning a "coup", a rights group has claimed.
In a Sunday statement, the International Association of Rights and Freedoms said the defendants have been slapped with jail terms ranging from between five and 15 years.

According to the group, the defendants have been charged with planning a coup against the ruling regime following the ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 coup.

There has been no comment from Egyptian authorities on the claim.

Four of the officers have been tried in absentia, according to the rights group.

Among the defendants in the trial are Muslim Brotherhood leaders Helmi al-Gazzar and Mohamed Abdel-Rahman al-Marsi, both who are outside Egypt.

The association called for holding a public retrial for the defendants in a "way that guarantees their rights".

Egypt has been roiled by instability since Morsi, the country`s first freely elected president, was ousted by the military on July 3, 2013 following mass protests against his rule.

Since Morsi`s ouster, Egyptian authorities have carried out a relentless crackdown on dissent that has mainly targeted the ousted president`s supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.

Last year, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief who led the military to unseat Morsi, approved legislation allowing individuals accused of committing violations against state institutions to be referred to military courts.

The move was widely criticized by local and international rights organizations, which expressed concern that defendants would not receive fair trials before military tribunals.

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