CAIRO, Jun 28 (Aswat Masriya) - A Cairo court upheld on Sunday a verdict handed to 68 people, ordering them to pay a fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds each (around $6,557) for breaching the protest law.

The defendants were arrested and put on trial for acts of violence that occurred during the commemoration of the January 2011 uprising.

They were charged with breaching the protest law, assembly and complicity in acts of violence. 

In March, they were ordered to pay the fine after being found guilty of the first charge and were acquitted of the latter two. 

They appealed the decision but in the ruling on Sunday, the court rejected their appeal. 

The marking of the fourth uprising anniversary was marred with deadly clashes, which broke out in different parts of the country, surrounding and on the anniversary.  

According to official figures, 23 people were killed.

On January 26, the day after the anniversary, the Interior Ministry said security forces arrested 516 individuals affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation. 

The anniversary violence has been widely condemned, including by the United States, United Kingdom and the United Nations.

Egypt's Foreign Ministry responded to the condemnations with criticism, saying that global condemnations contradict with reality.