A prominent Egyptian activist, blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah was arrested, with two others, while waiting for their trial outside a court in Cairo.
According to Mr Abd El Fattah's sister Mona Seif, also an activist, the three men were denied entry to the court and sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison.
The same sentence was given to 22 other people arrested at a rally against opposing the abuse of Egypt's court martial system.
Read more on the New York Times.
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