The Second Terrorism Circuit of the State Security Criminal Court in Egypt sentenced a defendant to 10 years in prison with hard labour on Saturday for his involvement in the murder of the Shia cleric Hassan Shehata, in a retrial of the case.
According to Egyptian media followed by Shia News Agency, the ruling was issued under the chairmanship of Judge Wagdi Abdel Moneim, with membership of Judges Wael Mohamed Omran and Diaa El Din Hamid, and court secretary Mohamed Hilal.
It was noted that the defendant had previously received a sentence in absentia. Following his arrest, his trial procedures were resumed.
On June 13, 2015, the Giza Criminal Court sentenced 23 defendants to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment and acquitted 8 others. A total of 31 defendants were tried for the murder of Shia leader Hassan Shehata and three of his followers, as well as for the attempted murder of 13 others.
The South Giza Incident Prosecution, led by Counselor Osama Heneidy, charged the defendants with committing crimes of assembly with the intent to premeditatedly murder, and killing Hassan Mohamed Shehata, one of the leaders of the Shia sect in Egypt, along with three of his sons and followers.
The perpetrators were accused of surrounding the victims, armed with knives, sticks, and Molotov cocktails, forcing them out of their location, and assaulting them.
