Egypt confirms death sentence of Brotherhood leaders
NEWS DESK (DİHA) - An Egyptian court has confirmed the death sentence given to Mohamed Badie, leader of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other members of the group for "inciting chaos and violence", and has given a life term imprisonment to a US-Egyptian dual citizen for having alleged "ties to the Brotherhood".
The men sentenced on Saturday were among thousands of people detained after Mohamed Morsi, the nation's first democratically-elected president, was overthrown in 2013 by the military under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is now president. Sisi describes the Brotherhood as a major security threat and has pledged to "eradicate" the group. The group says it is committed to peaceful activism and has nothing to do with violence in Egypt since the coup, which followed large-scale protests against Morsi.
Egypt's mass trials of Brotherhood members and people accused of links to the group, as well as its tough crackdown on Islamist and liberal opposition alike, have drawn international criticism of its judicial system and human rights record. The sentences, pronounced at a televised court session, can be appealed before Egypt's highest civilian court in a process that could take years to reach a final verdict.
US citizen sentenced to life
US-Egyptian dual citizen Mohamed Soltan, who has been on hunger strike for over one year, was sentenced to life in jail for allegedly supporting the movement and transmitting false news. He is the son of Brotherhood preacher Salah Soltan, who was among those sentenced to death. Soltan's family called for Mohamed's immediate release in a statement after the verdict, charging that there was no evidence against him. A website calling for his release says he was not a member of the Brotherhood, describing him as a US-educated peace activist who was involved in youth events and charities.
(nt)
