A prominent pro-democracy activists was forced to stand outside a courthouse in Cairo, while he was tried in absentia inside on charges of violating the government’s ban on unsanctioned protests.  Alaa Abd El Fattah later learned he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

“There was not justification for the judge to issue this verdict in absentia,” said al-Fattah’s mother Laila Soueif.  “We expected a court hearing with the prosecution and witnesses speaking.”

Fattah played a key role in organizing the protests that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in 2011.  But after the next coup in July 2013, the caretaker government cracked down on secular activists as well as Islamists – although it was the latter group that got a lot more attention in the world news media. 

Last November, Fattah was arrested after taking part in a protest calling on the government to repeal a new law that bans unauthorized demonstrations.  He had also demonstrated against the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi during his ill-fated term as Egypt’s first democratically elected President.

Al-Fattah’s sister Mona Seif says the same 15-year sentenced was handed down to 22 other defendants arrested in the protest.  It all comes three days after ex-army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi took office as president.