The Cairo Military Court referred on Monday eight of the defendants in the case known as “the Assassination Attempt of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, and the Saudi former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef” to the Grand Mufti of Egypt for the consideration of the death penalty. The court set a date on 6 March for its final verdict in the case.
The list of eight defendants includes Osama Mohamed Abdel Sameea, Ashraf Salem, Tarek Shawky, Mohamed Ziada, Ahmed Soliman, Nabil Ali, Gawad Masry, and Kamal Allam.
The Attorney General, Nabil Sadek, has previously referred 292 defendants in the case to the military judiciary over the accusation of forming 22 terrorist cells affiliated to the Islamic State group. The defendants who are already under arrest include 158 people, while seven were released and the rest are fugitives.
The prosecution accused the defendants of planning to assassinate President Al-Sisi twice, the first was in collaboration with a terrorist cell in Saudi Arabia and aimed to kill the president during performing the umrah in Mecca. The second one was in collaboration with a group of bearded officers.
According to the investigations, the defendants planted explosive devices on the road in order to target security forces. They also attempted to control Sedra and Al-Refaei checkpoints, in addition to planting explosive devices in the road to Al-Arish airport.
Moreover, they were also accused of killing three judges in Al-Arish city and North Sinai, as well as targeting the residences of judges who were monitoring the parliamentary elections in a terrorist operation which resulted in the murder of two judges, four police personnel, and a citizen.
The list of accusations includes also attacking the 101 Battalion and Al-Arish police station.
