News / Egypt

Muslim Brotherhood members sentenced to jail in Egypt

Thursday, 25 June 2015 7:17 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 25 June 2015 7:17 AM ]

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood defendants stand behind bars during their trial in Cairo, June 16, 2015. (AFP photo)

An Egyptian military court has sentenced in absentia dozens of members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement to 15 years in prison each on charge of attacking a security office following the 2013 ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

On Wednesday, the military tribunal sentenced 63 Muslim Brotherhood members to 15 years in prison in absentia after accusing them of attempting to storm the security directorate and diocese of the southern city of Qena in the chaos after Morsi’s ouster in early July 2013.

Shortly after the alleged attempted attack on the security building, two Brotherhood sit-ins in the neighborhoods of Raba’a and Nahda in the capital, Cairo, faced a harsh response by security forces.

Nearly 10 people were reportedly injured in the clashes that later broke out.

The court acquitted 33 others at the end of the trial.

This comes days after another court in the Egyptian northeastern city of Suez sentenced 14 people to life in prison in absentia and two others to 15 years each over alleged acts of violence in 2013.

After Morsi’s overthrow by former military chief and current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egyptian authorities launched a harsh crackdown on Morsi’s supporters. Hundreds of people have been killed ever since. Many of the Brotherhood’s members and supporters have been sentenced to death or jail.

Morsi and over 100 of his supporters have also been handed the death sentence in two cases of espionage and jail break. Another court has sentenced the former leader to life imprisonment over the alleged leaking of classified documents to Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups.

Back in April, Morsi was found guilty of using force against those protesting against his government and given a 20-year jail term in a high security prison

According to rights groups, over 40,000 people, including hundreds of lawyers, were arrested, indicted or sentenced between July 2013 and May 2014 by the Egyptian judiciary.

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