Egypt court fines leading activist over insulting judiciary

CAIRO – An Egyptian court has fined one of the leading activists behind the 2011 uprising 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($565) during his re-trial over insulting the judiciary.

Saturday’s ruling on Ahmed Douma, reported by the state-run Al Ahram newspaper, is a response to his appeal against a 2014 ruling in the case sentencing him to three years in prison plus the fine.

In 2015, Douma was sentenced to life in prison in another case dating back to December 2011, when clashes erupted between protesters and security forces outside Egypt’s Cabinet building.

Douma, who was granted a retrial in that case last October, faces accusations of illegal protesting, assaulting security personnel and attacking government buildings.

Since the 2013 ouster of an elected Islamist president, Egypt has jailed thousands of dissidents.