CAIRO — An Egyptian court sentenced 183 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death on Monday on charges of killing police officers. The men were convicted of playing a role in the killings of 16 policemen in the town of Kardasa in August 2013. Thirty-four were sentenced in absentia. The death sentences followed one of the bloodiest attacks on Egyptian security forces in years. The Egypt wing of the self-proclaimed Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated operations that killed at least 27 people last week.
Separately, an Egyptian police officer has been detained on suspicion of killing a suspected member of the Brotherhood in hospital, the Interior Ministry has said.
The suspect was being treated in custody for wounds suffered while he was allegedly planting explosives.
The ministry said that the man had provoked the policeman by insulting him. “Then the policeman lost control of his feelings,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian president has spoken publicly for the first time about the recent shooting death of a female protester, calling her a "martyr" and offering condolences to her family and all Egyptians "pained" by her death, newspapers reported on Monday.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi's comments reflected a nod to activists enraged by a killing they see as a cold-blooded murder of a colleague.
Shaimaa El-Sabbagh, 32-year-old mother and activist, was killed while taking part in a peaceful protest on Jan. 24 in Cairo. Her death was captured in social media footage, including a clip showing two masked policemen pointing their rifles in her direction, followed by sounds of gunshots. She was wounded by birdshot and died at the scene. Activists and witnesses at the rally blame the police for her death. — Agencies
