EGYPT: 188 DEATH SENTENCES IN MASS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT VERDICT

December 2, 2014: Giza's criminal court sentenced 188 defendants to death for a violent attack on a police station after last year's ouster of president Mohamed Morsi that left 11 police personnel and two civilians dead.
The defendants were found guilty of killing the officers after storming Kerdasa police station in Giza, following the dispersal of the pro-Morsi Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins in Cairo on 14 August 2013 that left hundreds dead and sparked nationwide unrest.
They were also found guilty of the attempted murder of 10 other police personnel, sabotaging the police station, torching a number of police vehicles and possessing heavy firearms.
Out of the 188, only 135 were present while the rest were tried in absentia. Defence lawyer Bahaa Abdel-Rahman told Ahram Online that among the defendants were two persons who died during the trial, but who weren't dropped from the trial, along with a minor. The verdict was sent to Egypt's Grand Mufti for review, a requirement in Egyptian law before any execution can be carried out. However, the Mufti's decision is non-binding to the court. The court set 24 January 2015 to issue its final verdict, after the Mufti issues his decision. The verdict can still be appealed. (Sources: Ahram Online, 2 Dec 2014)