Egypt jails 15 for anti-coup demonstrations in 2013

An Egyptian court on Thursday slapped 15 people with jail terms for taking part in unauthorized protests following the country's 2013 military coup, according to a local judicial source.

The source, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said a criminal court in Egypt's southern Minya province had sentenced the 15 defendants -- 14 of whom were tried in absentia -- to 10 years each behind bars.

The sentences remain subject to appeal, according to the same source.

In mid-2013, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was ousted in a bloody military coup.

Shortly afterward, Egypt's post-coup authorities passed legislation criminalizing unauthorized street protests.