CAIRO – An Egyptian court has given suspended, one-year sentences to 11 policemen accused of killing 22 protesters and wounding 44 others during last year's uprising.
Judge Sabri Hamed acquitted three other policemen during a court hearing in Cairo held under tight security Tuesday. Victims' families rejected the verdict and vowed to avenge their deaths.
Sabri said the defendants had a legitimate right to self-defense when a mob pelted their station with rocks and firebombs but that they used excessive force in dealing with the threat.
The verdict is the latest in what activists claim to be a pattern of acquittals and light sentences for policemen blamed for the deaths of hundreds of protesters during the 18-day uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
