Egyptian ex-lawmaker and journalists get prison sentences

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court has sentenced a prominent human rights lawyer to five years in prison for his conviction on charges that rights advocates have decried as baseless and politically motivated. The court found former lawmaker Zyad el-Elaimy guilty of conspiring to commit crimes with an outlawed group. That’s a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt has banned as a terrorist organization. The court also sentenced journalists Hossam Monis and Hisham Fouad to four years in prison over the same charges. Two other defendants got three-year sentences. Amnesty International in August condemned the charges against the defendants, saying they stemmed “from their peaceful political activities.”