Egyptian court condemns 529 people to death

Egyptian court condemns 529 people to death

 

 

 An Egyptian court has today sentenced to death 529 members of the Muslim Brotherhood on charges which include murder as the authorities tighten their squeeze on the movement.

As the verdict was called out family members of the condemned stood outside the courthouse screaming. Defence lawyers stated that this was the largest mass death sentence ever handed out in Egypt’s modern history.

Turmoil has continued to plague the country ever since Egypt’s first ever freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood, was overthrown by the military in July. 

State television reported the sentences without comment and a government spokesman or other government officials did not immediately respond to calls.

The majority of the defendants at today’s hearing were detained and charged with carrying out attacks during the violence which erupted in the southern province of Minya after the authorities heavy handedly forced the dispersal of two Muslim Brotherhood protest camps in Cairo on August 14 last year.

“The court has decided to sentence to death 529 defendants, and 16 were acquitted,” defence lawyer Ahmed al-Sharif said.

The Muslim Brotherhood, who call for the downfall of military rule in Egypt, have now largely been driven underground.

Mohamed Mahsoub, who served as minister of legal affairs under Morsi, described the court’s decision “a ruling calling for the execution of justice” on his Facebook page.

The charges against the group, include violence, inciting murder, storming a police station, attacking persons and damaging public and private property. The men can appeal against the ruling.

“This is the quickest case and the number sentenced to death is the largest in the history of the judiciary,” said lawyer Nabil Abdel Salam, who defends some Brotherhood leaders, including Morsi.

“There are a lot of flaws in this verdict. I think maybe an appeal could be successful but nothing is predictable,” said Mohamed Zaree, program manager, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.

It is doubtful at this moment that the sentences will be carried out as stated by experts, the very issuing of the sentences themselves are very significant. It has also thrown into light the justice system of Egypt,

“When the trial starts on Saturday and it is just a procedural hearing, and the judge doesn’t listen to any lawyers or witnesses and doesn’t even call the defendants, you are before a group of thugs and not the judiciary,” said Walid, a relative of one of the defendants.

Egypt is also currently detaining three Al Jazeera England journalists and they continue to fight the courts on the charges of portraying false news and inciting terrorism. The journalists all deny the allegations.

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