Washington 'deeply troubled' by Egypt's mass sentences

The US is “deeply troubled” by the mass sentences Egypt is handing down, the Anadolu Agency reported.

“We are deeply troubled by the mass life sentences handed down by an Egyptian court to 230 defendants, including April 6 activist Ahmed Douma,” Psaki said in her daily press brief.

“Mass trials and sentences run counter to the most basic democratic principles and due process under the law,” she said. “It simply seems impossible that a fair review of evidence and testimony could be achieved under these circumstances.”

Psaki called on Egypt to ensure the implementation of law in such cases. “We understand the verdict can be appealed and we continue to call on the government of Egypt to ensure due process for the accused on the merit of individual cases,” she said.

Earlier, Egypt sentenced 230 Egyptians to life imprisonment in a single trial. It is the first time that such mass trials have been conducted against Egyptians who are not affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a separate hearing, the court sentenced 39 Egyptian minors to ten years in jail.

A total of 17 million of Egyptian pounds ($2.2 million) in fines was also handed down.

When asked about the US aid offered to the Egyptian army, Psaki said: “We certainly take a look at and take into account everything happening on the ground.”