Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide sentenced to life in prison

Egyptian court on Monday condemned Muslim Brotherhood's top leader Mohamed Badie to a life term along with Mahmoud Ghozlan, a Brotherhood spokesman, and Hossam Abubakr, a member of its guidance bureau.

The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie (L) and senior Brotherhood leader Mohamed el Beltagy (R) seen in a makeshift courtroom at the Police Academy courthouse in Cairo, Egypt. June 16, 2015.
TRT World and Agencies

The spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie (L) and senior Brotherhood leader Mohamed el Beltagy (R) seen in a makeshift courtroom at the Police Academy courthouse in Cairo, Egypt. June 16, 2015.

An Egyptian court sentenced the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide Mohamed Badie to life in prison for "planning violent attacks" in a retrial on Monday, judicial officials and a lawyer said.

Mohamed Badie was part of a group of 37 people accused of conspiring to stir unrest during protests that followed the July 2013 military-led ouster of Egypt's former president Mohamed Morsi.

"We will appeal for everyone who was convicted," defence lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud said.

The retrial came after Egypt's court of cassation scrapped a 2015 ruling under which Badie and 13 others were condemned to death, and 34 defendants given life terms.

Badie is being prosecuted in more than 35 trials, according to his lawyers.

He received three death sentences in other cases but those rulings have also been scrapped.

Court ruling on the Brotherhood members

The court condemned Mohamed Badie to a life term along with Mahmoud Ghozlan, a Brotherhood spokesman, and Hossam Abubakr, a member of its guidance bureau, said the officials and defence lawyer Maksoud.

US-Egyptian citizen Mohamed Soltan, his father Salah Soltan and Ahmed Aref, another spokesman for the group, were among 13 defendants sentenced to serve five years behind bars. Egyptian authorities deported Mohamed Soltan to the US in May 2015, while his father remains in custody.

The court on Monday acquitted 21 others, including Gehad Haddad, an international spokesman for the Brotherhood.

The court of cassation would have to issue a final ruling in such an appeal.

The court has cancelled scores of death sentences against Morsi supporters including against the deposed president himself.

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