Ex-Muslim Brotherhood leader sentenced to life imprisonment for Hamas espionage

Bassant Mohammed
2 Min Read

Cairo Criminal Court on Sunday sentenced former acting supreme guide of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Mahmoud Ezzat, to life behind bars after he was found guilty of collaborating with the Palestinian movement Hamas.

In the case No. 56460 of 2013, Ezzat and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been charged with storming the Egyptian eastern borders, attacking security institutions, plotting with Hamas and the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hezbollah to create chaos in Egypt to bring down the authorities.

On 28 August 2020, the 76-year-old Ezzat was arrested by the Egyptian forces after he was hiding inside an apartment in the Fifth District in Cairo despite the rumors that claimed he was outside Egypt. 

 He also was accused of disclosing the defense secrets of the country to a foreign country, financing terrorism, and committing acts that undermine the country’s independence, unity and territorial integrity.

Ezzat was responsible for establishing the armed wing of the terrorist Brotherhood and was also the supervisor of sabotage operations committed by the organization members after the 30 June 2013 revolution. 

He has been accused of assassinating former Attorney-General Hisham Barakat, and injuring 9 other civilians in the same incident in 2015. He was also accused of killing Brigadier General Wael Tahoun outside his house in Ain Shams district in 2015, killing Major General Adel Rajai outside his home in Obour City, 2016. Ezzat was accused of attempting to assassinate former Assistant Attorney General Judge Zakaria Abdel Aziz in 2016. 

He also faces charges of involvement in a car bombing accident outside the Oncology Institute in August 2019, which claimed the lives of 20 civilians and injured 47 others. 

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