An Egyptian court today sentenced to life in prison the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, and four other leaders in a retrial on accusations of inciting street violence.
Defence 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 organisation in Egypt in December 2013, after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July of that year in the wake of mass protests against his rule.
The lawyer told AFP that four other people were sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 15 years. He said they would appeal the sentences within 60 days.
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.
