CAIRO: A total of 22 defendants, allegedly belong to the Muslim Brotherhood group, were sentenced to life in absentia by a military court over attacking a police station in Upper Egypt’s governorate of Asyut, Youm7 reported Thursday.
Another seven defendants in the same case, who were present during the court session, were sentenced to seven years in prison.
A 2014 presidential decree has expanded jurisdictions of military courts to try more civilians.
The decree entails that the army would secure certain public utilities for two years; hence those who attack them may be tried militarily.
Since its adoption, hundreds of defendants affiliated with the Brotherhood were referred from civil prosecution to military ones.
Minors were not excluded from the referrals; at least 21 minors have faced military trials since the decree was adopted, according to the Freedom for Children campaign that assured the figure “is not comprehensive and may increase.”
Additional reporting by Haitham el-Badry and Doha Saleh.