Egypt court sentences Brotherhood leader, cleric to Twenty years in jail

Hegazy, who is also on the list of individuals banned from Britain “for stirring hatred”,

(Reuters) – An Egyptian court sentenced a leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and an Islamist cleric to 20 years in prison on Tuesday for attempting to kill two policemen, part of a government crackdown that has severely weakened the group.

Mohamed El-Beltagy and cleric Safwat Hegazy were convicted of detaining and attempting to kill the policemen during protests against the military’s overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on July 3, 2013

Egyptian officials, who call the Brotherhood a terrorist group, have repeatedly said that some protesters were armed and fired at police and soldiers.

Two doctors who treated wounded protesters at a field hospital during the clashes, Mohammed Zenati and Azim Mohammed, were sentenced to 15 years each on the same charges.

Like many Brotherhood leaders, Beltagy faces several legal cases. In April, he was sentenced to one year in jail for insulting the judiciary. He has also received a life sentence for inciting violence following Mursi’s removal

Hegazy, who is also on the list of individuals banned from Britain “for stirring hatred”, was a supporter of the Brotherhood and its media adviser.