The charges the defendants faced since their trial began in May last year were related to the ransacking of a police station in the village of Kerdassah and the subsequent killing of the policemen. The assailants dragged some of the bodies by cars, scalping at least one and pouring acid on another.

The assault was believed to be revenge for the deadly breakup by security forces on Aug. 14, 2013 of two sit-in protests in Cairo staged by supporters of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, ousted a month earlier by the military after just one year in office. At least 600 Morsi supporters were killed on that day.

On Sunday, the court sentenced 80 to life imprisonment, 34 to 15 years in prison, and a minor to 10 years. Twenty were acquitted, while four others were referred back to prosecutors.

Source: news24