Court of Cassation upholds life sentences against Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide, 2 senior members in 'Arab Police Department Storming' case

CAIRO – 20 April 2022: Court of Cassation upheld Wednesday life sentences against Supreme Guide of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie, and two other senior members of the group, Mohamed al-Beltagy and Safwat Hegazy in the case dubbed "Arab Police Department" storming.

The incident took place on August 16, 2013 in Port Said governorate, when a group of individuals, holding arms, cold weapons, and Molotov cocktail stormed the police department assaulting police officers and policemen.

The crime followed the dismantling of Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins, within a series of violence orchestrated by the brotherhood to avenge the toppling of late President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated to the group.

The convicts were first handed the sentences in September 2020 by Port Said Criminal Court, and that were upheld by Appellate Court in 2021.

The Court of Cassation also upheld Wednesday the 15-year prison sentences against Mosaab Essam, Abdallah Hegazy, Abdel Rahman Atef, Mohamed Saad El Din, Abou Bakr Gaber, and Adel al-Sayed as well as the three-year prison sentence against Hossam Mohamed. On the other hand, the court acquitted 59 others.

Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Sunday former Deputy Supreme Guide of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood Mahmoud Ezat to life in the “Border Infirtlation” case.

Ezat is convicted of taking part in orchestrating the incident in coordination with Hamas, Hezbollah, and leaders of the international body of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Ezat provided fake national IDs, money, information, cars and motorcycles to the foreign elements who committed the crime and who were trained by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The mission of the perpetrators was storming into prisons to free Egyptians and foreigners affiliated to them as well as criminals to invoke mayhem in 2011 amid Arab Spring. It is noted that in the process, they killed a number of police officers either.

The foreign militants entered Egypt through the borders with Gaza Strip in Sinai Peninsula, composing the eastern land borders of the country. The most prominent establishment they broke into is Wadi Al Natroun Prison, the main detention of terrorist elements.

Ezat, 78, had remained a fugitive for seven years since 2013 until he was arrested in 2020 while hiding in an apartment in New Cairo. The arrest was carried out through a raid by security forces against the suspected flat upon a warrant by the Supreme State Security Prosecution.