17 Azhar students referred to court for violating protest law

Wednesday 17-12-2014 03:50 PM
17 Azhar students referred to court for violating protest law

Al-Azhar University students, members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, set fires during clashes inside the university, in Cairo December 9, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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CAIRO, Dec 17 (Aswat Masriya) – The Nasr City Prosecution referred on Wednesday 17 students from al-Azhar University to a misdemeanour court for violating Egypt’s protest law.

The students were protesting a November 29 court ruling which dropped charges against former President Hosni Mubarak over complicity in the killing of protesters during the January 2011 uprising that toppled his regime.

The prosecution accused the students of protesting without notice, “rioting”, assembly, inciting violence and attempting to stall the academic year.

The pro-Mohamed Mursi "Students against the coup" movement has been organising protests against the former Islamist president's ouster throughout the past academic year as well as this year. Protests often devolve into clashes with security forces.

Azhar University announced on Wednesday the expulsion of 71 students it accused of committing on-campus violence.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued on October 23 a law to reorganise Azhar and its institutions. The law allows the expulsion of faculty staff, employees and students who partake in acts of violence.

The academic year has witnessed violence since its start on October 11.

A law student at the University of Alexandria was reported dead on October 21 due to wounds sustained during on-campus violence during the first week of the year.

University campuses have witnessed unprecedented violence throughout the past academic year, with at least 16 students killed amid on-campus protests, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression's (AFTE) Student Observatory.

Former interim President Adli Mansour issued the protest law on November 24 last year to regulate peaceful assembly. The law has long been the epicentre of wide criticism by domestic and international human rights organisations which say it violates international standards for peaceful protests.

The legislation obliges demonstrators to inform the authorities of their intention to assemble three days prior to their scheduled events. It also gives the interior ministry the right to cancel, postpone or move protests.

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