From Democracy Digest:

An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to five years in prison on Monday, marking the latest turn in a saga that has seen him spend most of the last decade behind bars, The Washington Post reports:

Human rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, who had previously represented Abdel Fattah, and blogger Mohamed Ibrahim, known as “Oxygen,” were each sentenced to four years in prison. All three men were charged with “spreading false news undermining national security.” Under the rules of the court, there is no possibility for them to appeal — the sentence can be overturned only by President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi or someone he delegates.

The sentence in such a high-profile case suggested that the government had not scaled back its crackdown on dissent, The New York Times adds.

Read the full article here.