Egypt’s grand mufti on Tuesday approved an Egyptian court’s death sentence, handed down in absentia in November 2012, for seven Copts living in the United States linked to an anti-Islam film that sparked riots throughout the Muslim world.
Ali Gomaa’s stamp of approval is symbolic as the convicted do not reside in Egypt. Most of them live in the United States.
The charges were brought in September 2012 during a wave of public outrage in Egypt over the amateur film, which was produced by an Egyptian-American Copt.
The low-budget “Innocence of Muslims,” parts of which were made available online, portrays the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and buffoon.
The convicted parties were accused of harming national unity, insulting and publicly attacking Islam and spreading false information.
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