Egypt Sentences 3 Brotherhood Members to Death, 20 to Life in Prison

Previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members accused in “violent incidents” in Egypt. (AFP)
Previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members accused in “violent incidents” in Egypt. (AFP)
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Egypt Sentences 3 Brotherhood Members to Death, 20 to Life in Prison

Previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members accused in “violent incidents” in Egypt. (AFP)
Previous trial of Muslim Brotherhood members accused in “violent incidents” in Egypt. (AFP)

An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced three of the banned Muslim Brotherhood members to death, 20 others to life in prison and one to nine years in jail in 18 different cases.

According to the indictment, the convicts attempted to assassinate a former criminal court judge in Fayoum and police officers.

In 2014, the Public Prosecution filed terror charges against Muslim Brotherhood leaders who operated the group’s secret apparatus, the Committee of Qualitative Operations, and assigned it to carry out assassinations and hostilities against public figures, army soldiers, employees in the Ministry of Interior and the judiciary who violated its orders.

The court’s presiding judge, Yasser Muharram Darweesh, said the defendants had planned to assassinate a criminal court judge in Fayoum, Tareq Abouzeid, while he was driving, but they mistakenly shot at a different vehicle.

They also killed two policemen in Fayoum and planted roadside bombs across much of the province, opened fire at a local police station and carried out surveillance of police officers they intended to assassinate.

The members of these terrorist cells shared tasks that included execution, surveillance and security when they carried out acts of sabotage and violence.

They also shared the tasks of preparing firearms, explosive devices and firebombs to use them in terrorist attacks.

In this context, the Court of Cassation upheld Tuesday prison sentences ranging between three and 15 years against 52 Brotherhood members after rejecting the appeals filed by their advocates. It also acquitted five others.

The convicts are accused of committing violent crimes, carrying out arson attacks, and vandalism on assaulting policemen and citizens, as well as attempted murder during the sit-ins at al-Adwa area in Minya Governorate after ousting former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

The issued verdicts are final and cannot be appealed.



Hezbollah Chief Says Israel Must Fully Withdraw from Lebanon by February 18

 A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
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Hezbollah Chief Says Israel Must Fully Withdraw from Lebanon by February 18

 A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)
A photo taken from the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Hamam shows smoke rising after an explosion during an Israeli army operation in the village of Kfar Shouba near the border on February 16, 2024. (AFP)

The head of Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanese territory in full by a February 18 deadline, saying it had "no pretext" to maintain a military presence in any post in southern Lebanon.

Under a truce brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Iran-backed Hezbollah since early October.

That deadline was later extended to February 18, but Israel's military requested that it keep troops in five posts in southern Lebanon, sources told Reuters last week.

In a recorded televised speech, Hezbollah secretary general Naim Qassem said: "Israel must withdraw completely on Feb. 18, it has no pretext, no five points or other details... this is the agreement."

Qassem said any Israeli military presence on Lebanese soil after February 18 would be considered an occupying force.

"Everyone knows how an occupation is dealt with," Qassem said, without explicitly threatening that his group would resume attacks against Israel.

Israel's public broadcaster said on Wednesday the US had authorized a "long term" Israeli troop presence in southern Lebanon.

During the broadcast of Qassem's speech, at least three Israeli air strikes hit Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley. Israel's military said it conducted strikes after identifying Hezbollah activity at sites containing rocket launchers and other weapons.

Qassem also called on the Lebanese government to reconsider its ban on Iranian flights landing in Beirut.

Lebanese authorities banned the flights from landing until February 18 following Israeli accusations that Tehran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Beirut to arm Hezbollah.

The decision stranded dozens of Lebanese nationals in Iran, where they had been on a religious pilgrimage with plans to return via Iran's Mahan Air. Lebanon sent two of its own planes to retrieve them, but Iran barred them from landing in Tehran.

Hezbollah organized a protest outside Beirut airport on Saturday, where its supporters were tear gassed by Lebanese troops.

Qassem described Lebanon's ban on Iranian planes as "the implementation of an Israeli order".

"Let the plane land and we will see what Israel will do," he said.