Court issues fresh life sentence against Ikhwan leaders, 87 others
An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced former Ikhwan leader Mohammed Badie and 87 others to life in prison over violence in Minya in 2013, judicial sources told Reuters’ Arabic service. Dozens tried for the same case received sentences ranging from 2-15 years, while 463 others were acquitted, the sources said. Sunday’s verdict, which can be appealed, is the latest in a string of life sentences handed down to Badie since he was arrested following the ouster of Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Just last month, the 75-year-old was given a life sentence on charges related to the killing of seven people in 2013.
The story is topping coverage of Egypt in the foreign press this morning, with the Associated Press and AFP among those taking note.
Egyptian-American Moustafa Kassem sent a letter to The Donald pleading for release from an Egyptian prison, ABC news reports. Kassem is among those serving jail-time over the Rabaa Al Adawiya sit-in. He has been in detention since 2013 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison at this month’s court hearing. The story has also been picked up by The Hill.