Giza Criminal Court, headed by Judge Nagi Shehata, ordered on Saturday the referral of one defendant involved in the "Kerdasa clashes" case to the grand mufti for approval, after proving his conviction in the storming of the district's police station and the killing of police officers. In the same session, the court also scheduled 29 November for issuing final verdicts for ten other defendants. The grand mufti has the final say when death sentences are issued. Previously, 20 defendants involved in the case were handed death sentences and referred to the grand mufti. The case originally included a total of 156 defendants, in which some have already witnessed final verdicts or retrials, and others are still wanted by security forces. Defendants were facing retrial over charges of storming the district's police station, murdering 14 officers, and mutilating their bodies. The Cassation Court granted a retrial for all defendants after mass death sentences were issued in 2014 and 2015 against the defendants. The defendants are accused of storming the Kerdasa police station in Giza, killing several officers, and intending to kill others. The storming of the station took place after the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. The storming occurred on 14 August 2013, shortly after security forces forcibly dispersed the Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda Squares sit-ins. Both sit-ins were organised to show support for Morsi.
