Egypt activists get 3 years in prison for protest

“I see this as very much as the beginning of a serious crackdown on the Jan. 25 generation of protesters. They are the ones who the interior ministry sees as disruptive and the ones to blame for its own loss of status,” Morayef said.

“Not only is it a trend, but it is also a reflection of the new empowerment” of the police force, which had rallied strongly for the new law.

The three activists were charged with holding an illegal protest and assaulting policemen after Maher turned himself in for questioning because he was wanted for holding an earlier protest.

A crowd of supporters gathered outside the courtroom where Maher was Nov. 30, leading to scuffles with the police officers who later fired tear gas.