An Egyptian anti-terror court on Wednesday sentenced 54 supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi to life in prison for taking part in violent protests, judicial officials said.

The defendants, who stood trial in several cases, were convicted of belonging to a "terrorist" group, attempted murder, rioting, carrying out acts of violence, taking part in unlicensed protests and damaging public and private installations, the sources added.

Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has picked up 94.5 percent of votes cast abroad in Egypt's presidential election, officials said Wednesday, five days before polling opens in the North African country.

The retired field marshal, riding a wave of popularity after he ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi last year, is widely expected to win the election that takes place in Egypt on May 26-27.

A student was killed and another wounded Tuesday when supporters of Egypt's ousted president Mohammed Morsi and police clashed outside Cairo University, the health ministry said.

Engineering student Islam Mohammed was killed when he was hit by birdshot as the clashes erupted, it said.

Gunmen travelling in a car opened fire on Tuesday on a group of Egyptian policemen outside Cairo's Al-Azhar university, killing three and wounding nine others, the interior ministry said.

The attack comes just days ahead of a presidential election on May 26-27, which former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to win.

An Egyptian court on Monday acquitted 169 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi over protest violence last year, judicial sources said.

The army-installed government has rounded up thousands of Morsi's supporters and put them on trial in mass hearings since his ouster by the military in July last year.

Gunmen shot dead two Egyptian policemen on Monday in the central city of Minya as they were heading home, the interior ministry said.

Militant attacks targeting policemen have risen since the army ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July last year.

The European Union said Monday it will observe next week's presidential election in Egypt after authorities allowed in communications equipment, two days after announcing the mission had been scrapped.

The EU, which had accepted an invitation from the military-installed authorities to monitor the May 26-27 election, had said on Saturday it would be unable to do its job after Egyptian customs held up the equipment.

Hailed as a savior for overthrowing an Islamist president, former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi can count on the vote of Egypt's Coptic Christians who view him as a bulwark against fundamentalists.

The Copts are the Middle East's largest religious minority, and have long suffered sectarian violence that culminated in attacks on churches by supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year.

The European Union said Saturday it would not send observers to Egypt for the country's May 26-27 presidential election, as certain conditions necessary to do the job have not been met.

A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the bloc had begun to deploy a mission in the second half of April, but standard EU observation rules "include a number of specific requirements that need to be in place for the election observers to be able to perform their duties."

When Egypt's military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced in a television address the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, an ultraconservative Salafi party official sat by his side, making an unlikely ally.

Almost 11 months later, with Sisi poised to win a presidential election amid a crackdown on Islamists that has killed at least 1,400 people, the Salafists of Al-Nour party are sticking by him.