News

17 Sentenced to Death For Coptic Church Bombings

17 Sentenced to Death For Coptic Church Bombings

According to local media reports, an Egyptian military court in Alexandria has sentenced 17 people to death and 19 people life jail terms for their involvement in the bomb attacks on Coptic Christian churches.

The sentences were given on Thursday and they concern the church attacks which took place in Cairo’s Coptic Cathedral in 2016 and the simultaneous Alexandria and Tanta church bombings in 2017.

Both attacks, for which the Islamic State took responsibility, have claimed over 7o lives jointly.

The court also issued nine defendants to 15 years in prison and one defendant to 10 years. Some of the defendants were charged with joining the terrorist group IS and for carrying out lethal attacks against military checkpoints in Egypt’s Western desert, resulting in the death of Egyptian policemen.

All sentences are subject to appeal before a higher military court.

Prior to the sentences’ execution, Egypt’s Grand Mutfi is legally required to weigh in on the decision, particularly regarding the death penalty sentences. The Islamic religious authority has previously confirmed death sentences of defendants previously handed the death sentences in April.

Human-rights group Amnesty International condemned the sentences, calling them the miltary trial ”unfair” and not liable to deterring ”further sectarian attacks”.

“There can be no justification for the utterly reprehensible attacks which targeted worshippers in Coptic Christian churches across Egypt in 2017. There is no doubt that the perpetrators of these horrific attacks should be held accountable for their crimes,” said
Amnesty International’s North Africa Campaigns Director Najia Bounaim in an official statement on its website.

”But handing out a mass death sentence after an unfair military trial is not justice and will not deter further sectarian attacks,” she continued.

Instead, the organization called for a retrial in civilian court.

Egypt Launches New Hotline For Complaints About Street Rubbish
Egypt's Ministry of Agriculture Bans Unlicensed Selling of Live Poultry


Subscribe to our newsletter


News

More in News

Sisi Congratulates Erdogan on Election Win, Egypt and Turkey to Restore Diplomatic Ties

Farah Rafik30 May 2023

Egypt’s Al Ahly Basketball Team Clinch African Championship

Shereif Barakat28 May 2023

Egypt’s Wrestling Federation Under Investigation Following Young Wrestler’s Escape to France

Shereif Barakat27 May 2023

Egypt Delaying Wheat Payments, but Supply Ongoing as Sellers “Trust” Authority

Omar Auf27 May 2023

Entertainment Activities in Egypt Facing New Tax Measures

Egyptian Streets25 May 2023

Egyptian Fashion Designer Sara Onsi Honored at Forbes Middle East Women’s Summit

Farah Sadek25 May 2023

Egypt Divided Over Silver-Medal Winning Wrestler Who Fled to France

Shereif Barakat24 May 2023

UN Allocates USD 5 Million to Sudanese Refugees Fleeing to Egypt

Marina Makary23 May 2023