Egypt court sentences 6 to death over checkpoint attack

An Egyptian court has sentenced six defendants to death for a fatal attack on a police checkpoint northwest of Cairo in 2016, judicial officials.

The court also has jailed two people for life and four others, including three minors, for terms ranging from three to 15 years.

They have all been found guilty of killing a policeman during the assault and attempting to murder a second officer.

In addition, they have been sentenced for allegedly forming and supporting a terrorist group to try to topple the government and attack police and armed forces personnel.

Egypt’s courts have sentenced to death or lengthy jail terms hundreds of people after speedy mass trials since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 amid protests against his rule.

International rights campaign group Reprieve says that figures it compiled indicate Egypt executed at least 83 people between January 2014 and February 2018.

— AFP