The Giza Criminal Court sentenced Islamist figure Adel Habara and six other militants to death in the “second Rafah massacre” case Saturday.
The verdict comes after the Court of Cassation had accepted the defendants’ appeals in the case, thus cancelling the preliminary verdict and commencing a re-trial.
In December, the Cairo Criminal Court upheld death sentences against the seven, who were convicted of killing 25 police conscripts in an ambush on a police convoy in August 2013 in the Abu Tawila region, along the Al-Arish-Rafah Road in Sinai. They were initially sentenced to death in absentia.
Habara was also sentenced to death by the Zagazig Criminal Court on 29 September on charges of forming a ‘takfiri’ group, communicating with “Islamic State” (IS) and targeting policemen and army personnel with violence.
The defendants, Habara along with eight others, were also accused of having and promoting ‘takfiri’ ideology and possessing ammunition.
The term ‘takfiri’ is used in reference to those who accuse other Muslims of apostasy.
Furthermore, the Zazagzig Criminal Court referred Habara’s file to the Grand Mufti for consultation, on charges of killing an ‘informer’ in Sharqeya on 5 November. The referral is a legal procedure taken prior to upholding the death sentence.
The final verdict is scheduled to be announced on 6 December in this case.
Until this moment, Habara has received three death sentences, while awaiting the decision of the Grand Mufti on his fourth.
Habara, also known as Adel Mohamed Ibrahim, was arrested in August 2013 while hiding in the North Sinai town of Al-Arish.
