An Egyptian military court jailed 149 members of the Muslim Brotherhood on Tuesday to terms ranging from 3 years to life. The group included the Brotherhood’s General Guide, Mohammed Badie, and senior members Mohamed El-Beltagy and Safwat Hijazi.
An anonymous source within the judiciary told Anadolu news agency that the court sentenced Badei, El-Beltagy and Hijazi to hard labour for 10 years. Almost 60 other defendants received prison terms ranging from 3 to 7 years, while 90 were given life sentences. Another 50 were acquitted.
According to the source, “The defendants were found guilty of participating in clashes that killed 31 people in the canal city of Suez between 14 and 16 August, 2013.” The clashes erupted after police used brute force to disperse two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo.
The charges in the military trial included vandalism, inciting violence, murder, assaulting military personnel and setting fire to armoured personnel carriers and two Coptic churches in Suez.
According to Egyptian law, military courts issue their sentences in two phases. They do not usually announce their verdict, but the defence has the right to appeal against the sentences handed down for the first time.