In Egypt, an appeals court has upheld the three-year prison terms of three top political activists accused of violating an anti-protest law. Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma and Mohamed Adel were sentenced in December under a new law that effectively bans public protest by requiring seven different permits. The activists helped lead the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Ahmed Douma’s health is said to be deteriorating in prison. His brother, Mohamed Douma, said the fight extends beyond opposition to individuals such as Interim President Adly Mansour and the presidential favorite and former military chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Mohamed Douma: “Our battle has never been against a specific regime, as we previously thought, whether the Muslim Brotherhood, military, Mubarak or Adly Mansour and Sisi. Our battle is against an oppressive state. All it cares about is suppressing and jailing opinions. All it knows is tyranny. All it cares about is corruption and oppression. Its role is to suppress and kill the revolution. Its only concern is its interests.”