The Muslim Brotherhood’s legal committee said that the appeals court will reject rulings issued on Monday against the group's members for allegedly violating the law.
Minya Criminal Court gave the death sentence to 683 suspects, including the MB's supreme guide Mohamed Badie. The court submitted the ruling to the Mufti for his opinion. The suspects are accused of attacking police station and endangering public security.
The final verdict, according to the court, will be issued on 21 June.
The same court also sentenced 37 Brotherhood supporters, involved in another lawsuit, to death. It handed a life sentence to another 491 defendants. All were accused of attacking police stations in the Samallout and Matay neighborhoods in Minya.
Hassan Saleh, member of the committee, said they trust that the appeals court will reject the verdicts and order a retrial or clear the defendants.
“We have great confidence that the appeals court will cancel these illegal rulings,” he said. “Egyptian and international courts have never witnessed these verdicts before."
“What the judge ordered looks like a court ruling, however, it is basically what authorities in Egypt want, given that the case is political in nature,” Saleh added.
Internationally, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, tweeted: "Another mass trial outrage in Egypt with 549 people sentenced to death. The world must and will react!”
Edited translation from Anadolu Agency
