CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced 12 supporters of deposed Islamist president Muhammad Mursi to 17 years in prison on Wednesday for taking part in a violent protest, state media reported.

The official MENA news agency reported the protesters were convicted of attacking the headquarters of the Islamic Al-Azhar institution during the protest.

The men were arrested after protesters in October tried to storm Al-Azhar’s offices, which supported the military’s overthrow of Mursi.

More than 1,000 people, most of them Mursi’s supporters, have been killed in clashes with police since his ouster in July.

Thousands have been arrested, with many going to trial.

Mursi himself is on trial for alleged involvement in the killings of opposition protesters outside his palace.