A Cairo state security court Wednesday sentenced a suspected military leader of a terrorist group to death for planning terror attacks against security personnel in Upper Egypt. "The court unanimously sentences Abdel-Hamid Abou Aqrab to death for planning and being involved in killing a number of policemen in Upper Egyptian governorates," the court said on Wednesday. It added that the Abou Aqrab, who was a fugitive for 15 years before he was arrested two years ago, joined Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya (the Islamic Group) terror group, which was designed to destabilise Egypt. The documents relating to Abou Aqrab were referred to Egypt's Mufti (the nation's highest Muslim authority in Egypt) to endorse his death sentence, as the final ruling will be issued on October 20, the court said. Abou Aqrab was accused of killing two police generals and two other officers in Miniya governorate in 1993 as well as taking part in eight other attacks on policemen in Assiut. He had been sentenced to death in absentia twice before. Al-Gama'a Al-Islamiya is an Egyptian Islamist movement, which is considered a terrorist organisation by the United States, European Union and the Egyptian Government. When it was founded the group was dedicated to overthrowing the Egyptian government and replacing it with an Islamic state. In 2003 the imprisoned leadership of the group renounced bloodshed. Egyptian authorities have subsequently released a series of high-ranking members, and the group has been allowed to resume semi-legal peaceful activities.
