• EGYPT
  • August 20, 2017
  • 3 minutes read

Rights Group: 50 Death-Penalty Cases Hound Dissidents Since July 3 Coup in Egypt

Rights Group: 50 Death-Penalty Cases Hound Dissidents Since July 3 Coup in Egypt

 The first seven months of 2017 witnessed 15 court cases of executions, including six in which death sentences were pronounced or referred to the Mufti for first approval, and 9 cases in different stages of the appeal process following earlier death sentences issued by junta courts.



In its latest report, rights group "The Egyptian Coordinating Committee of Rights and Freedoms" (ECRF) said there were 50 court cases of death penalty (execution) or referral to the Mufti (for approval of death sentences) since the July 3, 2013 coup until the end of July 2017.


The report added that court cases whose rulings have become final and pending were 5, covering 24 final death sentences. Four of these were issued by military courts, namely the cases of Port Said, Fadl Al-Mawla, Mansoura, Kafr El-Sheikh, and Alex Library.


The report pointed that the cases which still have two stages of appeal are 6, covering 52 sentences (final death sentences as well as referrals to the Mufti for rubber-stamping), including the US Embassy incident and the Attorney General assassination.


The ECRF report further pointed that the cases which have one appeal stage were two, involving 32 sentences (executions and referrals to the Mufti for approval of execution), namely the Matay case and the Kerdasa case.


Notably, eight citizens were executed, including one in 2016.