Salafi preacher and top Muslim Brotherhood ally sentenced to 1-year with labor

CAIRO – Egyptian court officials say a Salafi preacher and top Muslim Brotherhood ally has been sentenced to a year in prison with labor for insulting judges during a trial at the Cairo police academy.

Safwat Hegazy, who joined ranks with the Brotherhood in supporting the electoral campaign of the now-deposed Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, was sentenced Wednesday for remarks made the same day while on trial with 130 others, including Morsi, for escaping from prison during the country's 2011 uprising.

Hegazy was a key speaker at the main pro-Morsi sit-in dispersed by security forces last August. He had told protesters to hold their ground and promised to reverse the military's overthrow of Morsi.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.