Brotherhood leaders jailed for 'attacking police' during Rabaa massacre
Brotherhood leaders jailed for 'attacking police' during Rabaa massacre
An Egyptian court has sentenced prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders to prison for assaulting police officers during the sit-in which ended with the deaths of hundreds of Brotherhood supporters.
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Brotherhood leaders have frequently found themselves in Egypt's courtrooms since Sisi's ascent to power [Getty]
Mohamed al-Beltagy and preacher Safwat Hegazy were on Wednesday sentenced to ten years in jail, after being accused of torturing police during the infamous Rabaa sit-in protest of August 2013.
Mohamed Mahmoud Zenati and Azim Mohammed were each sentenced by Egypt's Court of Cassation to five years in prison on the same charge.
According to defence lawyers, the accused were not present to listen to the judgement against them.
Mohammad al-Baltegy was a prominent Muslim Brotherhood politician who had been an MP during the Mubarak era. He was arrested on 29 August 2013.
His 17-year-old daughter, Asmaa, was one of the more than 800 people killed by police and security forces during the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in. Protesters had gathered in support of the ousted Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi.
Hegazy, who was also media adviser to the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, was arrested on 21 August, reportedly en route to Libya.
Judges twice recused themselves from the trial of the men, citing "uneasiness" over their case, partly as the defendants were not present.
On Tuesday it was reported that the Court of Cassation had ruled against a decision by the Public Prosecutor to place the names of 18 Muslim Brotherhood leaders on the terrorist list, citing legal errors.
That ruling was itself annulled on Wednesday.
Mohamed Mahmoud Zenati and Azim Mohammed were each sentenced by Egypt's Court of Cassation to five years in prison on the same charge.
According to defence lawyers, the accused were not present to listen to the judgement against them.
Mohammad al-Baltegy was a prominent Muslim Brotherhood politician who had been an MP during the Mubarak era. He was arrested on 29 August 2013.
His 17-year-old daughter, Asmaa, was one of the more than 800 people killed by police and security forces during the dispersal of the Rabaa sit-in. Protesters had gathered in support of the ousted Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi.
Hegazy, who was also media adviser to the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, was arrested on 21 August, reportedly en route to Libya.
Judges twice recused themselves from the trial of the men, citing "uneasiness" over their case, partly as the defendants were not present.
On Tuesday it was reported that the Court of Cassation had ruled against a decision by the Public Prosecutor to place the names of 18 Muslim Brotherhood leaders on the terrorist list, citing legal errors.
That ruling was itself annulled on Wednesday.
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