The Mansoura Criminal Court issued verdicts Monday on 75 alleged Muslim Brotherhood supporters in 11 cases of violence, "terrorism" and joining a banned group, according to state-run MENA. The defendants were given sentences ranging from three years to life imprisonment. Three were sentenced to seven years, 33 to five years, two were sentenced to three years, eight to 10 years and three others to 15 years. The remaining 26 defendants were sentenced in absentia, with 24 of them receiving life sentences and two given 15 years. Wafaa Al-Banna, Muslim Brotherhood spokeswoman, said the supporters did not commit any act of violence. She added that the government has a list of people known to be Brotherhood-affiliated and has sentenced people for crimes they did not commit. Since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the government initiated a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood members and supporters. The group was designated a "terrorist organisation" in December 2013. Brotherhood's members were banned from joining the parliamentary elections in March 2014 and the group's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, was ordered dissolved by a top court in August 2014.
