(Photo from Sobhi Saleh Facebook Page)
Former Shura Council member Sobhi Saleh and Hassan Al-Brens, former deputy governor of Alexandria and 31 other Muslim Brotherhood members in Alexandria were referred to criminal court for deadly violence that took place in Alexandria last July.
The decision to refer the defendants to an Alexandria court was issued by Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat on Sunday. They are being tried on charges of murder, vandalism and violence, state-run MENA reported. Of the 33 defendants, 15 are currently in custody and arrest warrants have been issued for the remaining 18.
According to investigations, the defendants participated in rallies after the roadmap was announced on 3 July. In the subsequent violence that broke out, one person was killed and dozens were injured.
Both Saleh and Al-Brens were arrested in separate incidents in August, as part of a campaign that targeted Muslim Brotherhood members after the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi on 3 July. Arrests include that of Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, his deputies Rashad Bayoomi and Khairat El-Shater, former Supreme Guide Mahdi Akef, Freedom and Justice party head Saad El-Katatni, and prominent Alexandria leader Hamdy Hassan.
Former president Morsi along with Badie, El-Shater, El-Katatni and dozens of others are being tried for espionage. The former president also faces three separate charges.
The Muslim Brotherhood organisation was banned by court in September. The court also ordered the confiscation of “all real estate funds, liquid and transmitted, whether owned by or leased to the Muslim brotherhood.”
On 25 December, the Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist organisation by the cabinet, making the organisation legally accountable under Article 86 of the Egyptian Penal Code.
