38 people, including businessman Mohammad Ali whose videos sparked the protests, were given life sentences. 44 others were given prison terms of between 5 and 15 years

Protests broke out in several Egyptian cities, including Cairo, Luxor, Qena and Sohag, on September 27, despite bids by security forces to suppress the demonstrators with tear gas and barricades

The protests were sparked by videos by Mohammad Ali, an exiled businessman, highlighting president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s corruption. The protests are rooted in the common people’s rising economic hardships, along with the widespread oppression