CAIRO: An Egyptian prosecutor referred 15 alleged members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood to a military court on Sunday on violence-related charges, the state news agency reported.

Egypt expanded the jurisdiction of military courts in October to permit them to try civilians accused of acts ranging from attacking state facilities to blocking roads.

The change followed some of the worst assaults on security forces since last year’s overthrow of President Mohammed Mursi of the Brotherhood.

The accused are 15 students from Zagazig University in the Nile Delta who face charges including inciting riots, belonging to a terrorist organisation and protesting without a permit.

The Brotherhood was banned a year ago. Thousands of its supporters have been locked up and hundreds were killed when security forces broke up two protest camps last year.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2014