Egypt court sentences Islamists to death over terrorism charges

An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced three Islamists to death over terrorism charges, state-run Nile News TV reported.

They were believed to be affiliated with the al-Qaida terrorist group, and have spied for terrorist groups against the country's national security, said the report.

The other suspect was handed a ten-year sentence over similar charges. All four defendants received the verdict in Absentia.

The four defendants, ranging from 22-33 years old, were accused of forming a terrorist cell from 2008-2013 in Cairo with aid of al Qaida leaders outside Egypt to launch terrorist attacks in Sinai Peninsula, said the presiding judge Shaaban el-Shamy.

They also provided other al-Qaida branches worldwide with information concerning Egypt's security forces and their bases, the judge added.

In a raid on their base in 2013, the security forces found maps of armed forces camps in Sinai and also plans to attack French and U.S. embassies in Cairo, he added.

Terrorist activities mounted in Sinai and other provinces across the country since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July 2013. The following crackdown on Morsi's supporters has left about 1,000 of them killed and thousands more arrested.

Most of the attacks were claimed by Sinai-based, al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, which has recently changed its name into "Sinai State" and declared its allegiance to the Islamic State militant group led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Late last month, a series of simultaneous terrorist attacks and suicide bombings against security forces and premises in North Sinai killed more than 30 military and police in addition to 14 civilians.

Earlier in October 2014, a car-bomb attack also in North Siani killed around 30 Egyptian soldiers in North Sinai late October.

Egypt has recently extended a curfew in many parts of North Sinai for another three months due to the unstable security conditions in that area and the recurrent terrorist attacks targeting security men and premises.

《Egypt court sentences Islamists to death over terrorism charges》永久阅读地址: http://91kudian.com/yingyu/19995/