Egypt court sends 63 Brotherhood members to jail

Cairo:An Egyptian court Tuesday sentenced 63 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to 15 years in prison on charges of violence during last year's protests in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

The defendants were convicted of committing violent acts, sabotage, attempted murder, damaging public property and possession of weapons, Xinhua reported.

The court also fined them 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,800).

Another five Morsi supporters were sentenced to 10 years in jail and a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,400) over the same charges in a case known as the "Asbakyah riots," which took place near Ramsis square in Cairo.

The court also ordered placing all the 68 convicts under security supervision for five years after the prison term.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been handed lengthy jail terms and death sentences after speedy trials, since the army's coup in July last year overthrew Morsi.

A massive security crackdown on his loyalists has left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands under arrest.

Morsi himself faces charges of jailbreak, espionage, ordering the killing of protesters, insulting the judiciary and leaking classified documents to Qatar