A court in Egypt has sentenced to death nearly 530 supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi for their involvement in an attack on police last summer.
Sentences of death were handed down on Monday to 528 Morsi supporters for attacking a local police station in the central Egypt governorate of Minya last August and killing the deputy chief of the station.
The reasons for the ruling have not been made clear, but it appears as though the court accepted charges like murder and arson.
The ruling comes as the military-backed interim government continues to tighten restrictions on Egypt’s largest Islamist group and Morsi’s support base, the Muslim Brotherhood.
The government has branded the organization a terrorist group, and has arrested members en masse.
The Muslim Brotherhood has continued to stage anti-government protests across the country.
Observers say Monday’s ruling may prompt a greater backlash from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Source: NHK
