Cairo Criminal Court issues ruling in Marmina Church lawsuit

CAIRO - 12 May 2019: Cairo Criminal Court sentenced on Sunday two defendants to death in the lawsuit publicly known as Marmina Church Incident. Two others were handed life sentences, while another was ruled innocent.

The convicts facing death penalties are Ibrahim Ismail Ismail and Adel Mohamed Imam. Four and two defendants were sentenced to 10 years and three years in prison, respectively.

The lawsuit, which has 11 defendants, dates back to December 29, 2017 when two armed men used firearms to target dozens of Christian worshippers attending a religious service at Marmina El Agayby & Pope Kerolous Church.

The attackers opened fire at a household appliances shop, then headed to the church, where they attempted to trespass the church's security.

The security forces were able to capture one of the attackers after shooting him and managed to defuse an explosive belt that was fastened around the militant's chest, while the other one fled the scene.

The arraignment of the Public Prosecution consisted of the following charges: forming, leading, and joining a Takfiri group, funding the group’s members, murder of 10 people including police personnel, muder attempt, resisting police forces using violence, manufacturing and possessing an explosive, joining the foreign Islamic State with the aim of plotting terror crimes to be launched in Egypt, possession of firearms and ammunition to be used in terror crimes.

Investigations indicated that convict Ibrahim Ismail formed a terrorist cell that adopts the ideas of the Islamic State. A firearm possessed by Ismail and confiscated by the police was used to kill three workers at the fee collection station located on Ayat-Giza Road.