The April 6 Youth Movement slammed Monday's court order to disband the group and freeze their activities, vowing that they will go on with their activism and will remain a source of vocal opposition.

In a statement released after the court order, April 6 said that it wasn't "just a movement, but an idea" and "an important aspect of this generation's voice and dream."

"We will keep going with our activities and views the way we want," the statement added.

The lawsuit that led to Monday's ruling was filed by lawyer Ashraf Saeed, who accused the group of espionage and defaming the Egyptian state.

In their statement, April 6 affirmed that their movement has been committed to peaceful activism and means of expression, stressing that they have been reluctant to request permits for their recent protests out of the belief that "it is the right for any human being to express his views as long as it's being done peacefully".

April 6 along with other political forces have recently mobilised against a controversial protest law that has sent many non-Islamist activists behind bars, including the movement's founders Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel.

"The group's main goal is to oppose any action made by the ruling regime which sabotages the state," said the statement.

The group added that the court verdict would not change anything in reality so long as "the image of the state has become so fragile" that a "chant by a protester" is able to tarnish its image.

April 6 was established in 2008 to support a strike by textile workers in the industrial city of Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra. The strike was a milestone in the mobilisation of activists prior to the 25 January 2011 revolution.

The young group, which played a vital role in the January 2011 uprising against autocrat Hosni Mubarak, has been the target of an ongoing smear campaign since its founding in 2008.