Ahmed Douma, a leading activist sentenced to life in prison.
(ANSAmed) - CAIRO - An Egyptian court sentenced 230 people, including one of the leading secular activists behind the country's 2011 uprising, to life in prison on Wednesday.
The defendants were found guilty of taking part in clashes between protesters and security forces. The activist, Ahmed Douma, had played a prominent role in the uprising that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Charges included possession of bladed weapons and Molotov cocktails, assaulting soldiers and police, setting fire to a building and an attack on government offices, including the cabinet and the People's Assembly. The trial also resulted in the sentencing of 39 minors to tens years in jail.
A life-in-prison verdict carries a sentence of 25 years in jail according to the Egyptian penal code, notes the website of Egyptian daily Al-Ahram. (ANSAmed).
