Egypt Muslim Brotherhood Chief Given New Death Sentence

Cairo: A court in Egypt yesterday sentenced to death Muslim Brotherhood chief MohamedBadie and 13 others over violence that killed 10 people in Cairo in summer2013.

 

Since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi inJuly, hundreds of his supporters and Badie himself have already been sentencedto death in speedy mass trials that have sparked international outrage.

 

The court is due to meet again on August 3 to give a finalruling.

 

Death sentences in Egypt are referred to the country's topIslamic scholar for an advisory opinion before being ratified and courts maycommute sentences, which can later be challenged in an appeals court.

 

Badie's co-defendants include Mohamed Al-Beltagui and EssamAl-Erian, top leaders from Morsi's Brotherhood, as well as other Islamistleaders such as Gamaa Islamiya chief Assem Abdel Maged.

 

They were convicted for inciting violence that left 10 peopledead in July 2013 near Al-Istiqama's mosque in the Giza neighbourhood, daysafter Morsi's ouster on July 3.

 

Since Morsi's ouster, a crackdown launched by the military-installedauthorities on his supporters have left more than 1,400 people killed in streetclashes and at least 15,000 jailed.

 

In April, a court in the central city of Minya sentencedBadie, who is being tried in some 40 cases, and around 700 alleged Morsisupporters to death over the murder and attempted murder of policemen. A finalruling is expected on June 21.

 

Morsi himself is detained and stands trial in several cases.