Egypt hands life terms in Sisi assassination attempt case

An Egyptian military court handed down various sentences that ranged from three years to life imprisonment against 296 defendants over an alleged attempt to assassinate Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and former Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef.

The court sentenced 32 of the defendants to life, 29 to 15 years in prison, and 36 to ten years. One defendant was sentenced to seven years in jail, 81 were handed five-year terms and 117 were sentenced to three years. Two were acquitted as there was insufficient evidence to convict them.

The verdicts may be appealed within 60 days.

Prosecutors referred the case for military trial in 2016 charging the defendants with plotting to assassinate Al-Sisi on two occasions, one of which was during his 2014 visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah in the company of Mohamed Bin Nayef. They also accused the defendants of forming a terrorist cell affiliated with Daesh and carrying out 18 terrorist operations in North Sinai.

The second alleged assassination attempt against Al-Sisi took place in Cairo, prosecutors said in an official statement at the time.

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