Cairo Criminal Court handed 20 defendants, involved in the violent Kerdasa clashes, death sentences and ordered referral of their papers to Grand Mufti for consultation during Monday’s final court session.
Referral of defendants’ papers to the Grand Mufti is mandatory as the mufti has the final say when death sentences are issued.
The court decided on another court session for 2 May to declare the final verdict for the remaining defendants in the case.
During Monday’s session a total of 156 defendants were facing retrial over charges of storming the district’s police station, murdering 14 officers, and mutilating their bodies. The Cassation Court granted the defendants retrial after mass death sentences were issued in 2014 and 2015 against the defendants.
The defendants are accused of storming the Kerdasa Police Station in Giza and killing several officers, intending to kill others.The storming of the station took place after the ouster of elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
The storming occured on 14 August 2013, shortly after security forces forcibly dispersed the Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda Squares sit-ins. Both sit-ins were organised to show support for Morsi.
