Islamist leaders referred to criminal court

Islamist leaders Mohamed Badie, Mohamed al-Beltagy, Essam Abdel Magid, and Safwat Hegazy were referred to the Giza Criminal Court Sunday, along with 11 other defendants, including the fugitive Essam al-Erian, Al-Ahram reported.

The state-run paper reported that the decision was taken by the General Prosecution, which had found during investigations that the defendants held a meeting at Rabea al-Adaweya, where supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi were camped, and agreed to organize marches on July 15 and use violence to terrorize citizens. 

Seven died and hundreds were injured in clashes between Morsi supporters and police on the October 6 Bridge near Tahrir Square, Ramses Square, Nahda Square, and the Bahr al-Aazam area, where the marches were organized.

According to Al-Ahram, the Public Prosecution charged Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Badie, Brotherhood leaders Beltagy and Erian, Jama'a al-Islamiya leader Abdel Maged, and preacher Hegazy with inciting violence and murder and attacking citizens and resisting security forces. They are also charged of forming a “mob” which they funded and provided with arms.

The rest of the defendants are accused of committing “terrorist crimes,” as well as murder and using arms against security forces.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s senior leaders were rounded by the police in the aftermath of the violent dispersal on August 14 of two Brotherhood sit-ins demanding the reinstatement of Morsi and the reversal of the military coup staged against him.