Ahmed Mansour Karni was handed the term after being sentenced in absentia for offences he allegedly committed two years ago – when he was two.

Ahmed is also wanted for four counts of murder and eight of attempted murder as well as disturbance of the peace and damaging state property in an indictment that included 115 others.

He is also listed as having threatened soldiers and police officers.

Defence lawyer Faisal al-Sayd said he had given the court Ahmed’s birth certificate but “it appeared that the court did not transfer the material”.

Another Egyptian lawyer Mohammed Abu Hurira wrote in disgust: “On the eve of injustice and madness in Egypt, a four-year-old child was sentenced to life imprisonment.

“He is accused of disturbance, damage to property and murder. The Egyptian scales of justice are not reversible. There is no justice in Egypt. No reason. Logic committed suicide a while ago. Egypt went crazy. Egypt is ruled by a bunch of lunatics.”