CAIRO, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian criminal court sentenced on Sunday three defendants to death over terrorism-related charges, official Ahram Online news website reported.
The court also sentenced another four defendants to life in prison and seven others to 15 years.
Nine other defendants in the case have been acquitted, the report said.
The court's verdict can still be appealed.
Sunday's sentence came nearly four years after the 23 defendants were charged with establishing Ansar Al-Sharia terror group.
In 2014, the defendants were convicted of forming and running the Ansar Al-Sharia terrorist group, attacking police, army personnel and institutions, government facilities, and Christians and their places of worship.
Terrorism rose in Egypt following the military ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
Terror attacks gradually expanded from North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip to other provinces including the capital Cairo, and started to target the Coptic minority via church bombings and shootings.
