Cairo: Three of Egypt's most prominent secular activists from the 2011 revolution against Hosni Mubarak were convicted Sunday of holding a rally without authorization and attacking police officers, receiving a three-year prison term in the first use of a highly criticized new law.
Judge Amir Assem found the three activists, Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohammed Adel, founders of the April 6 youth movement, guilty of violating the law passed last month.
Each of them also faces fines of $7,000.
The government has described the law as an attempt to bring order and stability to the streets amid continued protests against the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.
But rights groups and politicians warn the new law is an attempt by the military-backed government to curtail dissent, particularly ahead of planned elections.
