Egyptian human rights observatory: Seven death sentences and 1,512 years in prison for Morsi supporters in October

An Egyptian non-governmental human rights observatory said that seven supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi received death sentences in October, while 173 others were sentenced to a total of 1,512 years of prison, Anadolu news agency reported.

Anadolu cited a statement issued by the Egyptian Observatory of Rights and Freedoms on Sunday, which explained that: “During the month of October, 30 cases related to political detainees at various courts were examined, where decisions affecting 428 people have been made, including the sentencing of seven defendants to death and 173 others to prison for a total of 1,512 years.”

The statement added that, “among these defendants are 39 people who have been sentenced to life imprisonment (at least 25 years) and 248 other defendants who were acquitted via decisions that could still be appealed before the higher courts.”

Regarding the financial penalties, the statement noted that the total fines imposed, during the same month, amounted to two million Egyptian pounds (nearly $280,000).

In spite of local and international human rights reports that specifically talk about the existence of “political prisoners” in Egypt, Egypt’s Interior Ministry has repeatedly denied the existence of any political prisoners, stressing that all those who are imprisoned are involved in criminal cases, with criminal verdicts already issued in some of them.

According to Anadolu, the Egyptian Observatory of Rights and Freedoms was established in August 2013 and officially defines itself as a non-governmental observatory that works on monitoring and documenting the violations of human rights and freedoms in Egypt, in cooperation with local and international bodies and institutions.