Egyptian student sentenced to death in absentia

An Egyptian criminal court in Al-Giza issued a death sentence against an anti-coup student, accusing him for joining banned organisation and connecting to Palestinian Hamas movement, Aljazeera reported on Sunday.

The court accused Ahmed Shahin of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned in the wake of the military coup on the first ever freely elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi who affiliates to this group.

At the same time, the court accused Shahin, who did not attend the hearing, of owning weapons and moving between Egypt and the Gaza Strip through tunnels in order to help Hamas.

In the same session, the court decided fines totalling 20,000 Egyptian pounds on another anti-coup Egyptian accused of burning Kirdasa Church in August 2013.

It also adjourned sentence announcement against five from the group known as Ultra Rab’awi over accusations of involvement in violent activities.