Egypt court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood official to life in prison News
Egypt court sentences top Muslim Brotherhood official to life in prison

[JURIST] An Egpytian high court sentenced Mohamed Badie [Washington Institute backgrounder], a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, on Saturday to life in prison for inciting violence and protests near the al-Istiqamah Mosque in the Giza. Presiding Judge Hassan Farid referred [Al Jazeera report] to Badie’s actions as incitment “to achieve terrorist goals.” Badie has previously been sentenced to death twice [JURIST report] for his acts of incitement in Giza. Reportedly, 38 other brotherhood members also received the same sentence as Badie, while 10 members received a death sentence.

Egypt’s military deposed then-President Mohammed Morsi last July, and throughout the past year the military-backed government and court system has organized a massive political crackdown against Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, having jailed approximately 15,000 individuals since Morsi was removed from power. In April and June [JURIST reports] an Egyptian judge sentenced Badie and a total of 683 alleged Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death. Earlier this week an Egyptian court sentenced [JURIST report] 12 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for the murder of former Deputy Director of Giza Security Nabil Farrag. UN human rights officials argued earlier this year that the mass trials in Egypt violate international law [JURIST report]. In May an Egyptian court broke the pattern of mass trials resulting in the death penalty, as the court acquitted 169 Brotherhood supporters [JURIST report] on charges of illegal gathering.