Life imprisonment sentence against ex-MB supreme guide upheld

CAIRO - 14 April 2018: Egypt Court of Cassation upheld sentence of life imprisonment (25 years) against former Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie over charges of inciting violence in the “Rabaa operation room case.”

On May 8, 2017, the Giza Criminal Court sentenced Badie and two other defendants to life imprisonment (25 years). Meanwhile, 15 other defendants were sentenced to five years in prison each, and 21 others were acquitted. The 18 convicts have challenged the Giza Court’s ruling before the Court of Cassation.

The defendants were charged of orchestrating a plan to spread chaos and violence across Egypt following the dispersal of the 2013 Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins.

The defendants were charged with setting up an operations room to direct the movement and actions of the Brotherhood’s members in the streets after the August 2013 dispersal, and ordering the arson of churches and public properties.

Saturday ruling is the second sentence of life imprisonment against Badei. He was found guilty in the trial of “cutting-off Qalyoub Road”, in which 36 others were also convicted in October 2016.

The 74-year-old convict is still being tried in 11 known cases, mainly over charges of “inciting violence.” However, he stated in a hearing over charges of inciting violence in Minya that he is facing 48 trials, Masrawy reported on February 28.

Badie was the eighth leader of the banned Muslim Brotherhood (MB) organization. He became leader of the organization in 2010 after the death of his predecessor, Madi Akef.