Mansoura governorate's criminal court sentenced Wednesday 54 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to life imprisonment on conviction of incitement to violence and murder, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. Meanwhile, another court in Mansoura sentenced 24 university students to between two and five years in jail on conviction of protesting illegally, being members of a banned organisation, destroying public property and assaulting police personnel. Last December, Egypt`s interim government headed then by Hazem El-Beblawi labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. The decision was backed by a ruling from Cairo's Court of Urgent Matters in February. In March, 529 Egyptians were handed death sentences for murdering a police officer, attacking a police station, and rioting. The vast majority of sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. The Muslim Brotherhood has been blamed for militant attacks since the ouster of Mohamed Morsi — a longtime member of the group — on 3 July 2013. The attacks have mainly targeted security forces, with the exception of a bomb in South Sinai in February that killed four civilians, including three South Korean tourists. The Muslim Brotherhood has condemned the attacks and denied any connection to them. Source : Ahram online
