Egypt: 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders sentenced to death

(Baonghean) - On Saturday, April 11, the Grand Mufti - Egypt's highest religious authority - confirmed the death sentence for 14 leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood that the Giza City Court issued in March. It is known that among those sentenced to death is the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie.

A trial of supporters of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in Egypt. Photo: AFP

At the March trial in Giza, only 12 of the 14 convicted were present, with the other two convicted in absentia. As for the 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders, they were accused of “planning to use force against the state” and convicted of “inciting chaos and riots.” The presentation of the Grand Mufti is a religious procedure required whenever a death sentence is handed down.

The Grand Mufti also confirmed 23 life sentences. Mohmed Soltan, who supported the Muslim Brotherhood and spread false information, was also sentenced to life in prison. However, those convicted can appeal to the country’s highest civil court.

Since Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi - former head of the army and now president of Egypt - carried out a coup to overthrow former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013, a series of protests have broken out across Egypt. Afterwards, the authorities carried out many bloody crackdowns on protests in support of Mr. Morsi. According to statistics, about 1,400 protesters were killed in the above-mentioned crackdowns.

Not only did the crackdown stop there, the Egyptian government also sentenced hundreds of Morsi supporters to death and arrested more than 15,000 other protesters. On March 7, the Egyptian government executed a supporter of the deposed Islamist president for the first time, hanging him for causing riots in the northern Alexandria region of the country.

Chu Thanh

According to Le Monde April 11