Egypt

Military convicts five petroleum workers for protesting illegally

An Egyptian military court issued a suspended prison sentence for five workers convincted of protesting illegally, a rights organization said on Thursday.

The ruling is the first practical enforcement of an anti-protesting law approved by the interim government three months ago.

Objecting to their dismissal, workers at the Egyptian Petrol Company (Petroject), a state-run firm, staged a two-week protest in May and June in front of the Ministry of Petroleum's headquarters.

In a statement, the Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights demanded that the case be referred to a civilian court and called for the military tribunal's verdict to be annulled.

The center said military courts should not be authorized to try civilians unless the crime was committed in a military area or against army personnel, funds, or equipment.

The law imposes a fine of LE500,000 or one year in jail as punishment for protesting after curfew or hindering work at state or public institutions. Though approved in March, the law has not been enforced.

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