United Nations has expressed concern over the death sentence given to 529 Muslim Brotherhood suspects over involvement in riots in the aftermath of ouster of deposed President Mohamed Morsy in August 2013.
Minya Criminal Court issued the decree on Monday, which sparked controversy against the judge due to the hasty decision, despite procedural mistakes within the trial.
In a statement, The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was "deeply alarmed by the imposition of the death penalty against 529 people in Egypt yesterday after a cursory mass trial in which the majority of defendants were not present in court."
The mass imposition of the death penalty after a trial that was rife with procedural "irregularities is in breach of international human rights law."
Human Rights Watch also expressed disappointment over the sentence.
In a statement, HRW said, “It’s shocking even amid Egypt’s deep political repression that a court has sentenced 529 people to death without giving them any meaningful opportunity to defend themselves,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Minya court failed to carry out its most fundamental duty to assess the individual guilt of each defendant, violating the most basic fair trial right. These death sentences should be immediately quashed.”
