(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) A military court in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria on Tuesday jailed 250 supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, including several Muslim Brotherhood leaders, for life on violence charges, a legal source said.
The defendants are among more than 500 people being tried in relation to violence that took place in the Nile Delta province of Behira in 2013 following Morsi's ouster in a military coup. `
Among the defendants sentenced to life are former Brotherhood lawmaker Gamal Heshmat and former governor Osama Suleiman, who are currently outside Egypt.
The court also slapped 207 defendants with jail terms ranging between five to 15 years and acquitted 54 others, according to the legal source.
Tuesday's rulings are still subject to appeal.
Last year, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi approved legislation allowing individuals accused of committing violations against state institutions to be referred to military courts.
The move was widely criticized by local and international rights organizations, which expressed concern that defendants would not receive fair trials before military tribunals.
Morsi was removed from power in a military coup on July 3, 2013 following protests against his administration.
Since Morsi's overthrow, Egyptian authorities have unleashed a massive crackdown on his supporters, killing hundreds and detaining thousands.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.