EGYPT SENTENCES 529 MORSI SUPPORTERS TO DEATH

Cairo, 23 Jumadil Awwal 1435/24 March 2014 (MINA) –The Upper Egypt court sentenced on Monday 529 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood to death on allegation of murdering the deputy commander of the Matay district police station in Minya during riots in the aftermath of the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in in August.

The court also acquitted 16 other defendants, Egypt’s Ahram reported as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Only 147 defendants were present at the hearing, while the rest are on the run and were being tried in absentia, according to Aswat Masriya.

The trial began on Saturday with the defence lawyers demanding the recusal of the judges’ panel and its replacement with another, “unbiased”, panel. Their request was rejected.

On Monday, the court issued its sentence without hearing the defence arguments.

The law allows the verdict to be appealed, as this is the biggest capital punishment verdict in the history of the Egyptian judiciary.

The defendants’ papers will be transferred for perusal by the office of the grand mufti, the country’s official authority for issuing religious edicts, as Egyptian law stipulates that all death sentences be reviewed by the mufti for ratification.

On August 14, Egyptian security forces conduct a forced dispersal at two protest  sit-in where Mohammed Morsi supporters staged against the government. Hundreds died in the government’s version, while thousands according to Muslim Brotherhood,  after  the dispersal involving snipers targeting protesters that  became a bloody tragedy.

Since the bloody dispersal in Rab’ah Adawiyah and Nahda Square, the Egyptian protests continue held to this day, in which the military-backed  government images sparks  media topics.(T/P03/P04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)