Egypt court jails activist over ‘spreading false news’

CAIRO, Egypt  — An Egyptian appeals court on Sunday sent a rights activist to prison for two years over charges including “spreading false news”, her lawyer and a court official said.

The court also fined Amal Fathi, who was released three days previously in another case, 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($560).

Fathi had been handed a two-year suspended jail sentence in September but she appealed.

Her lawyer Ramadan Mohamed said Sunday her appeal had been rejected and that she would now serve jail time.

Fathi is also accused of publishing offensive content, Mohamed said.

The 34-year-old was arrested in May over a video she posted online, criticizing sexual harassment in Egypt and alleging that guards at a bank had sexually harassed her.

She had been conditionally released on Thursday after being detained in another case with charges including “membership of a terrorist group.” /cbb