Egyptian court gives life sentence to Muslim Brotherhood leaders

A court in Egypt has sentenced to life in prison Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, his deputy Khairat al-Shater, and four others over their alleged role in violence at the time of the ouster of the first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Judicial sources said the court issued the ruling on Wednesday as part of a retrial over violence between Brotherhood supporters and opponents near the Brotherhood headquarters in the capital Cairo back in 2013.

The rulings are the latest among several trials and retrials of Badie and other senior leaders of the Brotherhood that ruled the African country before the military, led by incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, ousted Morsi following mass protests in 2013.

The court on Wednesday sentenced Badie, Shater and four others to life in prison over violence between Brotherhood supporters and opponents near the headquarters, but acquitted former Parliament Speaker Saad al-Katatny along with a former minister, two prominent Brotherhood figures and two others.

All of the defendants have the right to appeal one final time before the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s highest civilian court.