CAIRO // An Egyptian court yesterday ordered Al Jazeera's local affiliate and three other stations to stop broadcasting, part of an expanding government crackdown against media seen as supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
In another legal move, a military tribunal issued the first verdicts against supporters of the deposed president Mohammed Morsi.
It sentenced one to life in prison and handing sentences of five to 15 years in prison to 51 other defendants for assaulting troops during riots in the port city of Suez last month. The riots were part of a nationwide wave of violence sparked when security forces cracked down on pro-Morsi camps in Cairo, killing hundreds.
Egypt's new military-backed government has moved on several fronts to quell Morsi supporters, who continue to challenge the popularly supported military coup that removed the country's first elected president.
Hundreds, including leading members of the Brotherhood and its allies, have been detained or face prosecution on charges ranging from inciting violence to possession of weapons and murder.
Mr Morsi has been held in an undisclosed location since his July 3 removal, and has been sent to trial for inciting the murder of his opponents.
Authorities have targeted media outlets deemed sympathetic with the former leader - particularly the local affiliate of Qatar-based Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera has repeatedly denied any bias.