The Criminal Court in the Upper Egyptian province of Minya has replaced a controversial death sentence for 491 members of the Muslim Brotherhood with life sentences, upholding the death sentences for 37 others over charges of a policeman murder.
The court in March sentenced the whole 528 defendants to death over charges of invading the Matay police department, murdering deputy police chief Mostafa al-Attar and torturing two other officers.
The harshness of the verdict given to such a large number of suspects had stirred domestic and international condemnations, urging the Egyptian judiciary to carry out fairer prosecutions.
The same court on Monday referred to the Grand Mufti the case against 683 defendants, including the Brotherhood's former Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, over the storming of al-Adwa Police Station and murdering police officer Mamdouh Qutb at the same province. The judicial measure of a death sentence requires first the Mufti's approval.
Both incidents of violence occurred after the forcible dispersals of sit-ins demanding the reinstatement of deposed president Mohamed Morsy last year.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
