An Egyptian court said Saturday it will uphold death sentences for 183 supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi — including the Muslim Brotherhood's spiritual leader.
"Mohamed Badie and others were charged over an attack on a police station last July after the army ousted President Mohamed Morsi. The court acquitted nearly 500 defendants today." (Via CNN)
Badie and 682 others were originally sentenced to death two months ago in connection with the violence that broke out in Minya after Morsi was ousted. The attack left one police officer and a civilian dead. (Via Euronews, ITN)
According to The Telegraph, a judge announced Saturday five of those defendants will now serve between 15 and 25 years in jail. And the rest, except those who had their death sentences confirmed, were acquitted.
The initial sentencing made headlines back in March and fueled international outrage from Western governments and human rights groups. (Via Time)
Amnesty International called the mass death sentences "a grotesque example of the shortcomings and the selective nature of Egypt's justice system."
Many see these confirmed death sentences as a strong sign that new President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will continue to crack down on the Brotherhood.
El-Sissi was sworn in just two weeks before Saturday's decision. (Via BBC)
Since Morsi was ousted as president last year, hundreds of Islamist protestors have been killed and thousands more thrown in jail in an effort by security forces to crack down on the Brotherhood. (Via The Telegraph)
Just before he was elected, el-Sissi said the Brotherhood, which is Egypt's oldest and most successful political movement, was finished and would no longer exist under his rule. (Via NTDTV)
We have yet to see a reaction on the ruling from the Brotherhood. Most of its members in Egypt are currently either in jail or on the run.
