Egypt court postpones judgement in ‘martyr of chivalry’ case

A juvenile criminal court yesterday postponed the trial of defendant Mohamed Rageh and three others accused of killing Mahmoud El-Banna who is known as the “martyr of the chivalry” to 22 December.

In a court session on 27 October evidence ascertained the main defendant in the case was a minor and so the sessions would be held in a juvenile court.

As minors the suspects will face between 10-15 years in prison for the charge of premeditated murder, but if it is proved that they are over 18 they will be tried as adults and face the death penalty.

Rageh and two others ambushed El-Banna in October and stabbed him in retaliation after he defended a female student they were sexually harassing and beating in the street and then wrote a Facebook post: “it’s not manly to beat a girl in the street.”

El-Banna died in hospital and was dubbed “the martyr of chivalry.” Thousands marched through the streets beside his body.

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