Egypt’s public prosecution authorities on Wednesday referred 198 members of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to a military court for carrying out alleged acts of “terrorism.”
The defendants are charged with forming armed committees to carry out attacks on judges, police and army personnel, the prosecution said in a statement.
According to the statement, 90 of the defendants have already been arrested, 35 of whom, prosecutors asserted, had confessed to carrying out several “terrorist” operations.
The Muslim Brotherhood – the group from which ousted President Mohamed Morsi hails – was designated a “terrorist organization” by the Egyptian authorities in late 2013.
Egyptian civil prosecutors are legally permitted to refer certain cases to the military prosecution authorities, especially when charges involve the alleged violation of public property.
Last year, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi approved legislation allowing individuals accused of committing violations against state institutions to be referred to military courts.
The move was widely criticized by local and international rights organizations, which expressed concern that defendants would not receive fair trials before military tribunals.
More than 4,700 civilians have been referred to military trials since the law came into effect, according to an Anadolu Agency survey.