CAIRO, Jan 5 (Aswat Masriya) - Abdeen court decided on Thursday to detain 12 protesters for 15 days pending trial.

The defendants protested in the vicinity of the press syndicate on Monday against the referral of the Tiran, Sanafir demarcation agreement to the parliament.

Security forces dispersed the protest and arrested 12 of them. The prosecution, inter alia, accused the protesters of thuggery, illegal assembly, demonstrating power, possessing white weapons, and road blocking.

Last Thursday, the cabinet passed the agreement to the Parliament after approval.

The agreement transfers the maritime sovereignty over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia; Tiran and Sanafir. It was signed in early April 2016 during King Salman bin Abdul Aziz visit to Cairo.

The agreement triggered widespread anger which manifested in two waves of protests in mid-April, and on 25 April. Lawsuit was filed at the state council administrative court by several lawyers in a bid to prove the Egyptian sovereignty over the islands.

The agreement is causing internal divisions among Members of the Parliament. A number of MPs wore on Wednesday badges stating Tiran, Sanafir are Egyptian islands, according to MP Haitham Al-Hariri.

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal, along with other parliamentarians reportedly urged them on Wednesday during the general assembly to take off those badges, and abide by the parliament's internal code of conduct.