The North Cairo Court of Appeal on Sunday postponed reviewing the appeals of three Kefaya movement activists, who have been sentenced to three years in prison for protesting foreign NGO employees being allowed to leave the country despite government charges against them.

On 1 April, the Azbakiya Misdemeanor Court convicted the activists — Tarek Medhat, Mahmoud al-Rashidy and Ibrahim Riyad — after finding them guilty of attacking the attorney general’s office and hindering the work of the High Court.

Security forces arrested the activists in February, following protests in front of the High Court denouncing the foreigners being allowed to leave. Youths from Kefaya — also known as the Egyptian Movement for change — reportedly chanted angry slogans in front of the court.

The North Cairo court decided to postpone the appeal submitted by the movement’s lawyer to 22 April.

The delegation of lawyers, headed by Khaled Kereisha of the Lawyers Syndicate’s freedom committee, demanded a review of the case and for the prosecution and defense’s witnesses to be questioned.

Kefaya coordinator Mohamed Abdel Aziz said the ruling was political and punished the Kefaya youths for their clear opposition to the military council ruling the country. The movement will continue its struggle against injustice, he added.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm