CAIRO, May 26 (Aswat Masriya) – An Egyptian appeals court refused a request to pay in installments a fine of EGP 4.7 million for all 47 defendants who were accused of protesting against the president’s decision to transfer two islands to Saudi control, their defence lawyer said on Thursday .

On Tuesday, the appeals court revoked a five-year prison sentence handed down earlier this month to the 47 defendants, but kept the fine that was imposed then which is EGP 100,000 (around $11,259) for each defendant.

The defence team had submitted a request to pay the fine in installments over six to eight months, however the decision to accept or refuse the request remained at the discretion of the judge.

Defence lawyer Halem Henish told Aswat Masriya that in the event the defendants did not pay the fine, they will remain imprisoned for 3 months at the most as per the Criminal Procedures law. After the defendants complete this duration, the fine is dropped for good.

The Law of Criminal Procedures permits the use of "physical coercion" as a means to collect the fines imposed on defendants.

The fine of EGP 100,000 is the maximum amount possible as set by the law, according to Henish, who believes that the large amount of the fine "put everyone in trouble". Since the defendants have already spent a month in prison, then the option to remain there until the three months are over is more likely for most of them, Henish added.

"The hefty fine is meant to deter any political participation in the streets and intimidate the opponents of the maritime border agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi," Henish said.

The protests were held on April 25 against a maritime border demarcation agreement signed between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in April. The agreement stipulates that the two strategic Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir fall within Saudi control. 

More than 150 people were sentenced on May 14 to between two and five years in prison each after they demonstrated against the transfer of the islands.

The protesters defied a protest law issued in 2013 and widely criticised by Egyptian and international human rights groups, because it requires assembly organisers to notify security sources of their plans in advance, granting the interior ministry the right to cancel protests. The law sets prison sentences ranging between two and five years for those who violate it.