Hassan Malek (File photo: Agencies)

CAIRO, April 30 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced seven prominent figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to life in jail over harming the economy, the official news agency MENA reported.

The Emergency State Security Criminal Court sentenced Hassan Malek and his son, top leaders of Brotherhood, along with other five defendants to life imprisonment, which is 25 years in jail in Egypt.

Three other Brotherhood members were sentenced to three years in jail, while 11 defendants were found innocent in the case, the report added.

The prosecution said the defendants were buying the US dollars in large amount from the black market to harm the value of the Egyptian currency. Some printed maps for targeting security forces and tourists, especially Russian and European nationals, were found inside their houses.

The accused persons also incited protests to block the roads and sabotage the public order, the prosecution said.

Thousands of Islamists have been detained and tried since the army-ouster of the former Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his rule.