Egyptian political party begs EU, UN to stop execution of 75 persons over 2013 protests

Freedom and Justice party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, has urged the United Nations and the European Union to stop the execution of 75 persons over the deadly 2013 protests.

The party in a statement called on the UN and EU to take “urgent measures” to halt their execution and investigate the “improper” mass trial.

The party in the letter added that the sentencing by the Cairo Criminal Court amounted to a “miscarriage of justice” and “violated” the international standards of a fair trial.

“We ask for your urgent action before any of the people sentenced to death are executed,” the FJP said in identical letters addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, EU head Jean-Claude Juncker and AU’s chairperson Paul Kagame.

“The mass trials and extraordinary harsh and disproportionate sentences that have been taking place since 2013 are clearly designed to suppress civilian opposition to the military-backed government,” the letter added.

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A total number of seventy-five persons were sentenced to death by a court in Egypt for their involvement in a deadly sit-in protest staged in Cairo in the year 2013 which claimed the lives of hundreds of demonstrators.

Reports say some of the convicts sentenced to death by the Egyptian court are senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, with Senior Brotherhood leaders Essam el-Erian and Mohamed Beltagi sentenced to death, while Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood’s spiritual leader, was handed a life sentence.

Prominent photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, also known as Shawkan, was handed a five-year sentence but should walk free for time served. He was arrested in August 2013 while covering the killings in Cairo.

Lawyers for Shawkan said he would be out in a “few days”.

In addition to Badie, 46 people were handed life sentences, while 612 other defendants received prison terms ranging from five to 15 years after a mass trial in Cairo.

 

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