Thirty people were sentenced to between five years and life in jail by an Egyptian court on Sunday, on charges including terrorism.
Judicial officials said they included rights activists and the daughter of Khairat El Shater, a senior leader of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Aisha El Shater received a 10-year prison sentence. Her husband, rights activist Mohammed Abu Horeira, was jailed for 15 years.
The 30 were convicted of joining and funding the Brotherhood, declared a terrorist group in 2013, and of spreading false news.
Seventeen received a life sentence, which in Egypt means 25 years in prison.
Seven were given 15 years and four received 10 years. The Cairo court also gave two defendants five years in prison.
El Shater was one of six women sentenced on Sunday.
The court added a five-year probation period at the end of each sentence.
That normally includes a travel ban and an order to regularly report to a local police station.
The Brotherhood’s designation as a terrorist group came months after the military, then led by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, removed Mohamed Morsi, a president with links to the Brotherhood. His ousting after only one year in office came amid mass protests.
Authorities in Egypt cracked down on the leaders and supporters of the Brotherhood following Mr Morsi’s removal. Thousands were jailed, along with a much smaller number of secular activists involved in the 2011 uprising that forced long-time autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak to step down.
The clampdown has led to criticism of the government’s human rights record. But authorities insist there are no political prisoners in Egypt and everyone in detention is facing a proper legal process.
The government also maintains that the denial of freedoms was necessary because of a rise terrorism after Mr Morsi's ousting.
Over the past year, the government has freed more than 1,000 of its critics from pre-trial detention as preparations are under way for a national dialogue to map out the country’s political future. The dialogue was called for by Mr El Sisi nearly a year ago.
The government earlier lifted a nationwide state of emergency that had been in force for years.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The biog
Name: Dr Lalia Al Helaly
Education: PhD in Sociology from Cairo
Favourite authors: Elif Shafaq and Nizar Qabbani.
Favourite music: classical Arabic music such as Um Khalthoum and Abdul Wahab,
She loves the beach and advises her clients to go for meditation.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
