An Egyptian court sentenced a businessman and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan Malik, and six others to life imprisonment. The most prominent of these were the damage to the national economy, the leadership of a terrorist organization, financial support and planning to attack armed forces, police and tourists.
The State Security Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced Hassan Malik, his son Hamza, businessman Abdul Rahman Saudi and four others to life imprisonment on Tuesday, and sentenced a 10-year prison sentence to three years, including a woman, Others.
According to the source, the court also decided to "put the sentenced under police supervision five years after the end of their sentence." Malik was in court, while his son and the other five defendants were sentenced in absentia.
According to Egyptian law, the state security courts, which are held under the state of emergency, issue final rulings and are not subject to appeal in any form. The ruling is submitted to the president for ratification.
The case dates back to 2015, when Hassan Malik, described by the authorities as one of the most prominent Muslim Brotherhood financiers, was arrested and charged with damaging the national economy by "creating an ongoing demand for the US dollar to devalue the Egyptian pound."
The charges were based on a raid and search of Hassan Malik's house. Authorities said they had found documents belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and contained conspiracies against the state.
The defendants' defense bodies denied the charges, and opponents denounced them as an attempt by the authorities to suspend their failure to manage the economic file at that time against the Muslim Brotherhood, which the government classified as a terrorist organization by the end of 2013.
Following the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the security services launched a widespread crackdown on his supporters, especially the Muslim Brotherhood cadres. Since then, thousands have been tried before civil, military and emergency courts, and human rights organizations continue to criticize this ongoing campaign.