Egyptian court acquits 13 minors over Red Sea islands protests

Sunday 23-10-2016 03:41 PM

Protests against Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation agreement (Mohamed El-Raei)

CAIRO, Oct 23 (Aswat Masriya) - An Egyptian court has acquitted on Sunday 13 minors who were arrested during protests against the Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation agreement in April.

The defendants were among more than 200 people who were detained in the wake of April 25 protests against an agreement that stipulated that two strategic islands, Tiran and Sanafir, fall within Saudi territorial waters.

The underage defendants were accused of violating a protest law, which bans all demonstrations that are not pre-approved by the interior ministry. They also faced charges of inciting protests and disturbing public peace.

Eight of the defendants were tried in absentia. 

Last June, the administrative court annulled the agreement signed during a visit by Saudi King Salman bin Abdel Aziz to Cairo in April and affirmed that the two islands fall within Egypt's borders.

The Cairo Court of Urgent Affairs however suspended late in September the administrative court's ruling invalidating the border agreement.

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