Final court verdict acquits Mohamed Al-Zawahiri of terrorist charges

Daily News Egypt
1 Min Read

Egypt’s highest court acquitted Mohamed Al-Zawahiri and 15 others from terrorism charges on Monday, state-media reported.

Moreover, the Cassation Court reduced the sentences of 10 defendants from a death sentence to life imprisonment, while upholding strict prison terms for 26 others.

The case, publicly known as the “Zawahiri cell”, brought charges against the defendants of forming a terrorist group with links to Al-Qaeda, aiming to conduct attacks against state institutions, police and army forces, and Copts.

In 2015, 10 defendants were sentenced to death by criminal court. Al-Zawahiri, brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, wasn’t among them.

There were originally 68 defendants in the case, but two defendants have since been executed. The first, Abdel Rahman Al-Sayed, executed in May, was part of the so-called “Arab Sharkas” cell, whose members stood trial before military court. The second was former jihadist Nabil Al-Maghraby.

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