“We are deeply troubled by the mass life sentences handed down by an Egyptian court to 230 defendants, including April 6 activist Ahmed Douma. Mass trials and sentences run counter to the most basic democratic principles and due process under the law. It simply seems impossible that a fair review of evidence and testimony could be achieved under these circumstances,” Psaki said.
Understanding that the verdict could still be appealed, the United States will continue to call on Cairo to ensure due process for the accused is based on the merits of each individual case, the spokesperson added.
Ahmed Douma, who is already serving a three-year term for breaking the law regulating protest, is a secular activist that was deeply involved with the movement that helped unseat President Hosni Mubarak in December of 2011. Wednesday’s decision represents the heaviest sentences delivered by an Egyptian court against those who were at the forefront of the Tahrir Square protests.
