An Egyptian military court has sentenced a political activist to two years in prison after convicting him of criticizing the armed forces and publishing false information.

Maikel Nabil Sanad was arrested in March and sentenced to three years, but the case was appealed and sent for retrial.

Sanad was arrested following posts on his blog comparing the military to the former regime of President Hosni Mubarak, toppled in February by a popular uprising. He also charged he was tortured by military police during an earlier detention.

He is one of 12,000 civilians who have faced military trials this year, a practice critics say deprives the accused of their rights.

Amnesty International considers Sanad a "prisoner of conscience," and the U.S. has expressed concern about his detention.