An Egyptian court on Tuesday gave 43 people life sentences over the violence outside the parliament building in 2011, official news agency MENA reported.

The defendants were charged with setting fire to public facilities including the Egyptian Science Complex and the parliament building, blocking utilities and possessing drugs.

The case dates back to December 2011, when clashes broke out between protesters and security forces outside the parliament building, leaving at least three dead and 255 others wounded.

The defendants were fined 17.684 million pounds (987,216 U.S. dollars) in compensation for the damage they caused during the violence.

Some 93 were acquitted in the case.

Source: xinhua