Court extends custody of 24 defendants over espionage with Turkey

CAIRO – 7 March 2018: The Cairo Criminal Court decided on Wednesday to extend the custody of 24 defendants for 45 days pending investigations on charges of conspiring with Turkey to harm Egypt.

The defendants, along with others at large, are also charged with joining a terrorist group, bypassing illegal international calls, money laundering, and illegal currency trading.

The court acquitted five others in the case.

Intelligence investigations revealed that the defendants cooperated with Turkish security agencies to outline a plot to help the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group take over power in Egypt.