An Egyptian court sentenced a prominent human rights activist to 18 months in jail for spreading fake news and insulting a police officer. Sanaa Seif was arrested in June of last year on charges of "broadcasting false news and rumors" about the country's health crisis and the spread of the novel coronavirus in jails, according to prosecutors. She denies all the accusations though.

Her lawyer, Hesham further states that they would appeal the decision of the Cairo Criminal Court to a higher court. In Seif's absence, the verdict was issued by a chief judge on Wednesday, according to her sister Mona Seif, who is also an activist. She continues, "They didn't carry Sanaa to the courthouse or into the enclosure."

Egyptian authorities are accused by international rights organizations of launching a broad crackdown on dissent and imprisoning thousands of people, mostly Islamists but also secular activists. Amnesty International slammed Seif's "false accusations" and called the decision a "travesty of justice."

“Today's decision is another crushing blow to Egypt's right to free speech. Amna Guellali, Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said, "The Egyptian authorities have once again shown their unrelenting intent to punish any criticism of their dismal human rights record."

Egyptian authorities vehemently deny criticism stating that the law and courts function independently, confirming upcoming detention.

Seif, 27, was detained while she and other family members went to the public prosecutor's office to file a complaint about an assault on them a day earlier outside Cairo's Tora prison complex, according to her sister Mona.

The group visited Tora regularly with the hopes of receiving a letter from their son, who is an imprisoned activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, which prison officials had vowed to forward. Ahmed Seif al-Islam, Seif's father, was a well-known human rights lawyer who died in 2014. Her mum, mathematician Leila Soueif, is a vocal supporter of academic freedom. Ahdaf Soueif, her aunt is an award-winning novelist.

With Egypt's 2011 revolt, her brother, Abdel-Fattah, rose to prominence. In 2019, he was detained and was released in March 2019 after serving five years in jail for participating in a nonviolent demonstration against civilian-military trials.

After being accused of insulting a government employee while conducting his duties, Sanaa Seif was sentenced to six months in prison in 2016. She was pardoned early after serving 15 months of a three-year term for protesting against a law prohibiting public assemblies.