Egypt court acquits 169 Brotherhood supporters

Ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi stands behind bars during his trial at a court in Cairo, May 8, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court acquitted 169 Muslim Brotherhood supporters charged in connection with unrest that followed the overthrow of president Mohamed Mursi last year, breaking a pattern of mass convictions at trials involving the Islamist opposition.

The men were charged with "illegal gathering" in relation to violence in Cairo on Aug. 16 last year, two days after the security forces killed hundreds of Mursi supporters while breaking up their protest camps in the capital.