Egypt court convicts its former president Mohammed Morsi, 18 others for insulting judiciary

Cairo: An Egyptian court has convicted former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and 18 others over insulting the judiciary, sentencing them to three years in prison. Among defendants in the case are prominent rights activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah and political analyst Amr Hamzawy, both of whom were fined 30,000 Egyptian pounds (USD 1,688). [caption id=“attachment_4281583” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi[/caption] Abdel-Fattah is serving a five-year sentence for taking part in an illegal protest in 2013. Hamzawy lives in exile. Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, was ousted by the military in 2013 following mass protests against his one-year divisive rule. He has since faced trial on a host of charges, including espionage and conspiring with foreign groups. Egypt has since 2013 cracked down on Islamists, jailing thousands of them as well as secular and liberal activists.