Muslim Brotherhood chief handed life term in Egypt retrial

Mohammed Badie and four others were charged with terrorism, attempted murder, forming an armed group to attack citizens and illegal possession of firearms

By AFP 12 August 2018, 11:37 pm

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Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie stands behind bars during his trial in Cairo on February 28, 2015 (Mohamed el-Shahed)

CAIRO, Egypt — An Egyptian court Sunday sentenced to life in prison the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide, Mohammed Badie, and four other leaders in a retrial on accusations of inciting street violence, their lawyer said.

Defense lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud named the others as Mohamed el-Beltagi, Essam el-Erian, Safwat Higazi and El-Husseini Antar.

The Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organization in Egypt in December 2013, after the military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July of that year in the wake of mass protests against his rule.

“We will appeal the sentences within 60 days,” the lawyer told AFP, adding that four other people were sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 15 years.

The accusations date back to July 2013 when Brotherhood leaders and members marched in Giza, west of Cairo, in protest at Morsi’s ouster.

The defendants were charged with terrorism, attempted murder, forming an armed group to attack citizens, and illegal possession of firearms.

Badie and the others were initially sentenced in September 2014 to life in prison, but Egypt’s court of cassation cancelled the ruling and ordered the retrial.