A Suez criminal court on Tuesday sentenced three religious extremists, convicted of murdering a university student in Suez earlier this year, to 15 years each in jail.

Twenty-year-old engineering student Ahmed Hussein Eid was stabbed to death in the canal city on 1 July while taking a walk with his fiancée.

The three men attacked Eid as he walked with his fiancée near the city's centrally-located Arbeen Square. The victim was taken to Suez Hospital for treatment before being transferred to a medical centre in nearby Ismailia where he eventually succumbed to his injuries.

A subsequent autopsy revealed that the victim had died after sustaining a knife injury to the leg that had caused severe bleeding, along with serious trauma to the head.

In court, the three men had denied allegations that were part of an extremist group that used violence against anyone who did not conform to their version of Islam.

Prosecutors considered the crime premeditated murder.

The prosecution also accused the three men of violating the law by establishing a group devoted to violating personal rights guaranteed by the law and constitution.

The crime sparked controversy in Egypt at the time and led to speculation about the possible rise of religious radicalism and the appearance of so-called morality police following the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi to the presidency.

Tuesday's court session was attended by a number of activists and political party representatives in Suez, along with the victim's family and friends.