Egypt court sentences Brotherhood leader to life

CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and 36 others to life in prison Saturday, and confirmed death sentences for 10 others, most of them on the run.

Badie, convicted of involvement in deadly protests, had already received death sentences in two other cases in a crackdown on opposition after last year´s military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

Of the 10 defendants condemned to death last month in the same case, whose sentences were confirmed, an Islamic cleric has since been arrested.

Another defendant was sentenced to three years.

Egyptian courts have sparked international concern over a spate of death sentences for more than 200 people in several mass trials.

On Saturday, presiding Judge Hassan Farid said the defendants were involved in violence and the murder of two people during protests last July after the army overthrew Morsi, who belonged to the Brotherhood.

He said the defendants had committed the violence "to achieve terrorist goals."

The Brotherhood has been designated as a terrorist movement, with much of its leadership imprisoned, including the former president.

Following Morsi´s overthrow, Islamists staged rallies that often ended in clashes with police and their opponents.

At least 1,400 people have been killed in street clashes, and scores of policemen and soldiers have died in militant attacks.

About 700 Morsi supporters were killed in just one day in August, when police broke up two protest camps in Cairo. (AFP)