An Egyptian criminal court has sentenced six supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi to eight years in jail in absentia on Thursday, on charges of rioting and obstructing a recent vote, Reuters' Aswat Masriya reported.
A seventh defendant, attending the court session in the city of Fayoum 100km south of Cairo, was acquitted.
The absentia sentence means there will be an automatic retrial once the defendants are arrested or hand themselves in.
They were charged with joining a terrorist group, Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, and attempting to hinder the referendum on a new constitution which took place in January.
A judiciary source told Aswat Masriya that the prosecution had charged them with blocking roads, protesting in front of polling stations, frightening people to hinder them from voting and possession of documents inciting against the police and army.
A security crackdown on Morsi supporters has left hundreds dead and thousands in jail or facing trials, including Morsi himself and the group's top leadership.
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