Court upholds activist's sentence on appeal

Egypt's highest appeals court has upheld a five-year prison sentence for blogger and pro-democracy activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. BBC News reports that his family said the Court of Cassation had confirmed a verdict that he broke a 2013 law banning protests and endangered the public interest. Fellow activists condemned the ruling on social media. Fattah has about 18 months left of his sentence, but is also on trial for allegedly insulting the judiciary. The report notes that he and at least 23 other defendants face up to four years in prison if they are found guilty. A verdict is expected in December.