Criminal court sentences two ‘Ultras Rabaawy’ Morsi supporters to death

Giza Criminal court sentenced on Saturday two supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to death on violence-related charges.

Two others were sentenced to 25 years in jail, while a minor was sentenced to ten years in prison, the maximum sentence in juvenile cases.

Defendants belong to “Ultras Rabaawy”, a pro-Morsi youth group that employs the tactics of hard-core Egyptian football fan groups known as ultras.

An initial death sentence was uttered by the court in August. However, all death sentences have to be referred to the country’s grand mufti, the state’s senior Muslim cleric, for a consultative review as required by Egyptian law.

The grand mufti’s opinion is non-binding, but Egyptian judges have traditionally aligned their final rulings to the mufti’s recommendations.

The verdict can still be appealed in front of the appeals court.

The convicted were charged with torching the administrative prosecution building in Cairo and a mobile phone network communication tower in 6thof October City.

The court was presided over by Judge Nagy Shehata who in the past few months has issued death sentences to dozens of Islamists and 25-year sentences to pro-January 25 revolution activists.

Morsi and hundreds of his supporters have been sentenced to death following his ouster in 2013 following mass protests against his one-year rule.

Morsi’s death sentence is currently being appealed.

Source: Ahram Online