April 30, 2014 -- Updated 1558 GMT (2358 HKT)
Muslim Brotherhood has called the death sentences given by an Egyptian
court to hundreds of its supporters an end to the "myth" of independent
judiciary. FULL STORY
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MASS TRIAL
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VIDEO
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VIDEO
Egypt court sentences hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death
April 29, 2014 -- Updated 1129 GMT (1929 HKT)
Egypt court sentences hundreds to death
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Muslim Brotherhood: The sentences end "myth" of independent judiciary
- NEW: U.N. Secretary-General is "alarmed"
- Egypt court recommends death sentence for 683 Brotherhood supporters
- A court also bans a secular group that helped ignite 2011 uprising
Intensifying a crackdown on the Islamist movement ahead of elections next month, the same court also handed down a final capital punishment ruling for 37 others.
Charges in both cases,
which were tried by the same judge, are related to violent riots in the
central Egyptian city of Minya in August.
A police officer was
killed during the violence, which followed a deadly crackdown by
security forces on two Cairo sit-ins being held by supporters of former
Islamist President Mohamed Morsy, who was ousted last July.
Mohammed Badie, the
Brotherhood's leader, is among 683 supporters of Morsy whose death
sentences are not final -- as the case has been referred to the nation's
grand mufti, Egypt's highest religious authority, for review.
The official website of
the Muslim Brotherhood said Morsy's son, Osama, attended Monday's court
session. It quoted him for Badie's reaction after the death sentence was
read out.
"If they hung us a
thousand times God will never detract from what it is right," Badie
reportedly shouted. "We will not tremble because death in the name of
Allah is faith. May Allah accept."
Egypt urges 'perspective' in death sentence
Egypt sentences 529 people to death
Hundreds in Egypt face death sentence
In the second case,
relating to 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters sentenced to death last
month, the judge upheld 37 death sentences. The others saw their
sentences commuted to life in prison.
Most of the people sentenced are being tried in absentia. All defendants are still permitted to appeal.
The sentences "put an
end to the myth of independence of the judiciary" and "are solely based
on direct orders from the coup masterminds who deposed the legitimate
elected President for personal interests," said Gamal Heshmat, a member
of the Muslim Brotherhood's Shura Council -- its highest advisory body.
"There is no justice, no legal system in Egypt any more. Lawsuits are
now turned into political battles, where the ruler seeks revenge against
honorable patriotic citizens.
"These judgments are
worthless," he said in a written statement. "We will not be intimidated.
We will not abandon the Revolution raging in the street, and which
assures the whole world that there is no justice in Egypt."
U.N. Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon "is alarmed by the news" of the mass death sentence, his
spokesman said. "Verdicts that clearly appear not to meet basic fair
trial standards, particularly those which impose the death penalty, are
likely to undermine prospects for long-term stability," which is
"essential for the overall stability of the entire North Africa and
Middle East region."
Ban is "concerned" about
the case and "intends to discuss these concerns and other issues with
the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt Nabil Fahmy later this week,"
the spokesman said.
In an early reaction
from a Western government, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on
Twitter that the mass trials were an "outrage."
"The world must and will react!" he said.
The mass trials have already drawn widespread criticism from international human rights groups.
Internal strife
Egypt has faced turmoil
since the uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
Since the army removed Morsy, the country's first freely elected leader,
from power last July, Egypt has suffered the worst internal strife in
its modern history. Morsy and other Brotherhood leaders were rounded up
soon after his removal from office.
Cairo's military-installed government has branded the Brotherhood a terrorist group, an allegation it denies.
The Brotherhood insists
it remains an entirely peaceful organization, but it is accused of being
behind a wave of deadly attacks on the police and military.
A separate militant
group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which the United States has designated a
terrorist group, has been blamed for attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
It claimed responsibility in January for four blasts that killed at
least six people in and around Cairo.
Authorities also extended a crackdown to secular activists.
A Cairo court ordered a
ban on all activities of the secular pro-democracy April 6 Youth
Movement on charges of espionage and defaming the state, state media
reported.
The Cairo Court of
Urgent Matters also ordered the seizure of the group's premises. The
movement helped ignite the uprising that toppled Mubarak. The ruling can
still be appealed.
In a response to the court decision, the group said its activities were peaceful.
"April 6 is an important
part of this generation's voice and dream," it said in a statement
posted on its Facebook page. "We will continue our activities,
expressing our opinions, and raising our voice as we please."
The Muslim Brotherhood's
London office issued a statement slamming the sentencing of its
protesters to death as well as the Cairo court's ban of the youth
movement.
"Today's unprecedented
verdicts represent a complete disregard of Egyptian and international
human rights laws and due process," the statement said. "The world can
longer afford to stay silent on such gross human rights violations and
injustice committed by the military junta in Egypt against its own
people.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
the general who led the outster of Morsy, is expected to easily win
presidential elections on May 26-27 in a country long ruled by men from
the military.
CNN's Reza Sayah, Salma Abdelaziz, Schams Elwazer and Josh Levscontributed to this report.
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