A northern Giza Special Terrorism Circuit Court has upheld on Saturday a five-year jail sentence for two defendants convicted of protesting against an Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation deal.

The court refused the pair’s appeal, confirming the prison terms given to each.

In April 2016, the prosecution charged the defendants with holding an illegal demonstration in Agouza in Greater Cairo against the bilateral deal, which saw the islands of Tiran and Sanafir placed within Saudi Arabian territorial waters.

The defendants were convicted of breaching the protest law as well as possessing flyers and obstructing public transportation.

Dozens of protesters were tried for demonstrating against the deal, signed during a visit by Saudi's King Salman to Cairo.

Many have since been released after paying hefty fines.

The deal has faced a number of legal challenges from opponents; it was ratified Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi at the end of June after parliament voted to approve it.

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