Egypt rights groups condemn conviction of activist

CAIRO (AP) — A group of Egyptian human rights associations has condemned the conviction and sentencing of a prominent activist to 15 years in prison, saying it was unconstitutional and disregarded his right to a fair trial.

In a joint statement Thursday, the 16 groups said the verdict against Alaa Abdel-Fattah and 24 others “further downgrades the status of human rights in Egypt.”