Leader and 13 Members of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Sentenced to Death

A court in Egypt has sentenced Mohamed Badie, the leader of the banned political group 'Muslim Brotherhood', and 13 other senior members to death for inciting chaos and violence. Additionally, a 27-year-old Egyptian-American citizen was sentenced to life imprisonment for having connections with the group. According to Reuters, these convicted individuals are among thousands who were arrested less than two years ago following the ousting of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, and the beginning of the rule of General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the current president. General Sisi considers the Muslim Brotherhood a major security threat to the country. However, the group claims to be committed to peaceful activism and denies any connection to the violence perpetrated by radical Islamists during widespread protests against Sisi's rise to power. The mass trials of Muslim Brotherhood members and those accused of links to the group, alongside the severe crackdown on both Islamist and liberal opponents, have sparked global criticism of Egypt's judiciary and human rights violations in the country. The sentences issued in this televised trial can be appealed in Egypt's Supreme Civil Court, but the appeals process may take years. The Egyptian-American citizen sentenced to life imprisonment is named Mohamed Sultan, who was 25 at the time of his arrest. He is the son of Salah Sultan, a cleric supportive of the group and also sentenced to death. According to the judge, Mohamed Sultan deserved the life sentence due to his 'financial and educational connections with the Muslim Brotherhood' and 'spreading terror and chaos in society.' However, a website advocating for his release claims he was never a member of the Muslim Brotherhood but rather a peace activist educated in the U.S. who worked to improve the conditions of Egyptian youth and engaged in charitable efforts. According to Reuters, Mohamed Abdel-Mawgood, one of the lawyers defending the accused, told several journalists present in court that 'the court did not distinguish between the defendants and lumped them all together.' Furthermore, none of the defendants were present during the trial. Human rights groups state that the Egyptian regime is currently suppressing any form of protest. Meanwhile, General Sisi argues that establishing stability is essential for Egypt's economic revival. Following the protests four years ago that ultimately led to the ousting of dictator Hosni Mubarak, Egypt witnessed the election of Mohamed Morsi as president, followed by a struggle between Islamism and secularism and subsequent unrest. Human rights advocates have also criticized the U.S. government's decision to abandon its policy of withholding military aid to Egypt, stating that Washington has placed human rights low on its list of priorities. In response to these criticisms, the U.S. government stated that the resumption of military aid to Egypt is aimed at strengthening American national security. The court on Saturday was referred to in domestic media as the 'Rabaa Operations Room' trial, named after the sit-in that occurred less than two years ago in 'Rabaa Square' protesting the ousting of Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The use of force by Egyptian security forces to disperse protesters resulted in the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators. A total of 51 individuals were sentenced in the court on Saturday. Those who did not receive the death penalty were sentenced to life imprisonment. According to a court official, the lengthy list of charges included leading and providing financial support to an 'illegal group' [the Muslim Brotherhood], violating the constitution, and inciting chaos.