The Supreme State Security Court has decided to postpone delivering its verdict until Thursday in the case of Abdel Hamid Abu Aqrab, a senior figure in Gamaa Islamiya, the terrorist group that assassinated a number of security officials in Assiut during the 1990s. The court session began on Tuesday at 10 AM. Security forces cordoned off the court's premises, installed an electronic gate at the court's entrance, and searched those entering the facility. Only lawyers and reporters were permitted access. The defendant was brought in amid tight security measures. Several relatives attended the session. The court last June referred the case to the Grand Mufti, setting 21 December as the date to deliver its ruling. Abu Aqrab faces charges of orchestrating a series of armed attacks against security officials in Assuit, including the governorate's security chief Sherine Fahmy and his private guard Hassan Saad. Abu Aqrab received two death sentences in absentia and remained at large for 15 years. He is also accused of planning and taking part in the assassination of Assiut's former assistant security chief, Mohamed Abdel Latif al-Shimy, and two of his guards. Investigations resulted in Abu Aqrab being charged with the possession weapons and explosives, attacks on tourists, and affiliation with an illegal, seditious group. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
