File Photo: In this Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 photo, 32-year-old mother Shaimaa el-Sabbagh holds a poster during a protest in downtown Cairo (Photo: AP)
A Cairo Criminal Court will give on 19 June its verdict in the retrial of a police officer accused of fatally shooting activist Shaimaa El-Sabbagh during a peaceful protest in downtown Cairo in 2015.
The Central Security Forces (CSF) officer, Yaseen Mohamed Hatem, is to remain in custody until the court issues its verdict, which could be subject to further appeal.
In February 2016, the court ordered a retrial for Hatem, who was sentenced in 2015 to 15 years in prison for the shooting of 32-year-old El-Sabbagh during a march organised by Egypt’s Socialist Popular Alliance Party, of which El-Sabbagh was a member, to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
Hatem was initially convicted of inflicting injury leading to death, a charge similar to manslaughter, as well as deliberately wounding other protesters.
El-Sabbagh was killed after being hit with a birdshot fired by the CSF police officer.
Egypt's CSF often uses birdshot and teargas to disperse protests.
The 15-year sentence against the CSF officer was the toughest against a policeman for killing protesters since the 2011 uprising.
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