The National Security Criminal Court uphold death sentence to defendants accused in the Mar-Mina Church terrorist attack, which took place in Cairo’s Helwan district on 29 December 2017.
Another two defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, four others were sentenced to 10 years in jail, with two sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and one defendant acquitted of the charges.
In April, the Cairo Criminal Court referred two defendants to the Grand Mufti seeking his opinion on a preliminary death sentence against them.
The attack killed 10 people as militants opened fire on the Mar-Mina Church in the Helwan suburb south of Cairo and attacked a Copt-owned shop. The attackers started by shooting at the shop, which was owned by a Coptic citizen, killing two men. Subsequently, shots were heard at the Mar-Mina Church.
They are also accused of attempting to murder others and forcefully resisting police authorities.
At the time, hours after the attack, the Amaq news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic State militant group, said that a squad of militants executed the attack against the church, without revealing any details. The agency, however, released a video allegedly showing a masked assailant stating his pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and encouraging other militants in Sinai.
