{"id":46014,"date":"2018-07-30T04:27:17","date_gmt":"2018-07-30T04:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=46014"},"modified":"2018-07-30T04:27:17","modified_gmt":"2018-07-30T04:27:17","slug":"egypt-court-sentences-75-to-death-over-sit-in-for-morsi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=46014","title":{"rendered":"Egypt court sentences 75 to death over sit-in for Morsi"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"International desk: An Egyptian court sentenced 75 people to death on Saturday, including top figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in, state media reported.<\/p>\n

The Cairo Criminal Court referred the sentences to the Grand Mufti \u2013 the country\u2019s top theological authority \u2013 for his non-binding opinion as is the norm in capital cases.<\/p>\n

Though non-binding, the formality gives a window of opportunity for a judge to reverse an initial sentence.<\/p>\n

The sentences are subject to appeal.<\/p>\n

Sentencing for more than 660 others involved in the case was scheduled for September 8, the Al-Ahram news website reported. Those sentences, too, are subject to appeal.<\/p>\n

Of the 75 defendants referred to the Mufti, 44 are jailed and 31 are at large. The court normally hands down the maximum sentence for fugitives but a re-retrial is typically held after they are caught.<\/p>\n

The case involves a total 739 defendants, including the Muslim Brotherhood\u2019s Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie and photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid.<\/p>\n

The charges range from murder to damaging public property. Neither Badie nor Abu Zeid were sentenced to death in this case.<\/p>\n

The 2013 sit-in, in Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in Cairo, supported former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi who was militarily ousted following mass protests against his divisive one-year rule. Morsi hailed from the Brotherhood.<\/p>\n

The sit-in was violently dispersed on August 14, 2013. More than 600 people were killed.<\/p>\n

Months later, Egypt designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation.<\/p>\n

Egyptian authorities have since launched a severe crackdown on Brotherhood members and supporters, arresting many and trying them on terror-related charges.<\/p>\n

Egyptian courts have held mass trials and handed down death sentences for hundreds of people, drawing international condemnation.<\/p>\n

In 2014, an Egyptian judge sentenced 529 of Morsi\u2019s supporters to death. A retrial was later ordered after several proceedings.<\/p>\n

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised such mass sentencings in Egypt and called on authorities to ensure fair trials.<\/p>\n

International rights groups also denounced the mass trial of the 2013 sit-in.<\/p>\n

Amnesty International described it in a statement last month as a \u201cgrotesque parody of justice\u201d and called on authorities to drop all charges against those arrested for protesting peacefully.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

International desk: An Egyptian court sentenced 75 people to death on Saturday, including top figures of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in, state media reported. The Cairo Criminal Court referred the sentences to the Grand Mufti \u2013 the country\u2019s top theological authority \u2013 for his non-binding opinion as is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":46015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n