Court postpones retrial in Al-Ayyat police station case

CAIRO – 10 June 2017: The Giza Criminal Court postponed the retrial of six defendants accused of storming Al-Ayyat police station south of Cairo to July 1, it was announced on Thursday.

The police station was stormed in August 14, 2013, in conjunction with the dispersal of the Rabaa Al-Adawiya and Al-Nahda Square protests. These protests were arranged by members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group to lend support to former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

In March, the court sentenced the six defendants to a three year prison sentence, with each defendant also ordered to pay a fine of LE 1000.

The defendants are facing accusations of storming the police station in order to steal weapons and ammunition, killing three police conscripts and attempting to kill three others in the process.

Lesser accusations also leveled to the defendants include affiliation to the outlawed Brotherhood, disturbing public peace and illegally entering public and private properties.

During the time of pro-Muslim Brotherhood protests in 2013, a numerous of violent clashes and attacks took place in the country resulting in the death of hundreds of security force personnel and citizens.