Egypt’s Morsi sentenced to three years in prison

Cairo, Egypt | AFP |  An Egyptian court sentenced ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to three years in prison along with 19 other defendants on Saturday for “insulting the judiciary,” his lawyer said.

The other defendants include former members of parliament, activists and three journalists.

Morsi had already been sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison in two other trials after the military ousted him in 2013.

The defendants had all been charged with making statements deemed insulting to the judiciary.

Five other defendants, including jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, were fined 30,000 pounds (about $1,680) each.

Morsi was also ordered to pay two million pounds to the head of the judges’ syndicate and another judge, while 22 other defendants were ordered to pay one million pounds to the head of the syndicate.

Morsi’s lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsud told AFP that he would appeal the verdict.

Thousands of Islamists have been arrested and put on trial since the military ousted the divisive Morsi following mass protests demanding his resignation.

The crackdown extended to other opponents of then army chief now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who was elected a year after Morsi’s overthrow.