3 court rulings issued against MB’s Badie over terror-related charges in July

CAIRO – 13 July 2018: Former Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie will be handed down three final court rulings in July over crime-related charges.

Badie, 74, 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. He was arrested on Aug. 19, 2013 as part of a nation-wide crackdown on Brotherhood leaders in the wake of increasing violence and protests after two Brotherhood sit-ins were forcefully dispersed on Aug. 14, 2013.

On July 28, the South Cairo Criminal Court will give its ruling against Badie and 738 co-defendants in a trial dubbed in the media as “The Rabaa Sit-in Dispersal Case”. The defendants face charges of “staging an armed gathering in Rabaa Square, illegally possessing and handling weapons, blocking driveways, and deliberately vandalizing public property, along with other counts relating to murdering policemen and citizens.”

On July 29, a Cairo Criminal Court will issue its ruling in the “Al-Bahr al-Azam Case”, in which Badie and eight other Brotherhood members are being retried. In September 2014, the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment over charges of “inciting clashes” in al-Bahr al-Azam district, Giza, causing the death of five people. However, the Court of Cassation overturned the verdicts on Nov. 8, 2015.

On the same day, a Minya Criminal Court in Upper Egypt will make its final ruling in the third trial dubbed as “El Idwa Incidents,” in which Badie and 682 co-defendants were charged with inciting violence. They are also charged with storming a number of state-owned institutions, such as the agriculture unit, veterinary center and the real estate office in the city.

Following the Rabaa sit-in dispersal on Aug. 14, 2013, the city of El Idwa in Minya governorate witnessed acts of violence and vandalism, during which a police station was attacked and a police officer was killed. In April 2014, the Minya Criminal Court sentenced all defendants to death. However, a retrial was ordered after overturning the ruling by the Court of Cassation.

Badie is serving term after Egypt’s Court of Cassation upheld sentence of life imprisonment (25 years) over charges of inciting violence in the “Rabaa Operation Room Case” on April 14. He also 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 also still being tried in eight other 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 Feb. 28.