(AFP File PHOTO / AHMED GAMIL)
Mohamed Badie, the Supreme Guide for Muslim Brotherhood, and 25 other defendants out of 130 in the case, were handed 3 year sentences and fined EGP 10,000 for insulting judiciary.
The trial will resume on 20 December to hear the defence for the defendants.
The defendants are facing trial for escaping from Wadi El-Natrun Prison on 29 January 2011, during the start of the 25 January Revolution. They were charged with damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder, and looting prison weapons depots at three separate prisons.
Prosecution investigations claimed that the prison break occurred when 800 foreigners affiliated with Hamas and Hezbollah entered Egypt from Gaza through tunnels with heavy armaments, RPGs and mortars. These were used against police and governmental installations in the eastern border area and killed several policemen, the accusations allege.
The prosecution statement read that they later moved in three groups to break into Wadi El-Natrun Prison in Beheira governorate and Abou Zaabal and Al-Marg prisons in Cairo. They killed over 50 policemen and prisoners, and freed fellow Muslim Brotherhood members and 20,000 other prisoners, according to the prosecution. They would also have vandalised and stolen police equipment, cars and arms and kidnapped four policemen.
