From right to left: Mohamed Badie, Mahmoud Ezzat, Mohamed El-Beltagy, and Safwat Hegazy (social networking sites)

Yesterday, Monday, the First Circuit of Terrorism in the Egyptian Emergency State Security Criminal Court issued a death sentence against the guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and 7 of the Brotherhood’s leaders, including Mahmoud Ezzat, Mohamed El-Beltagy, and Safwat Hegazy, against the backdrop of the case known in the media as the “Platform Events,” which dates back to... Events for the year 2013.

The First Terrorism Circuit of the State Security Criminal Court orders the death penalty for the Muslim Brotherhood’s guide, Mohamed Badie, and 7 others, including Mahmoud Ezzat, Mohamed El-Beltagy, and Safwat Hegazy, in the case known in the media as “the platform events,” according to local newspapers pic.twitter.com/KwXyhEIGCU

- Monitoring Network (@RassdNewsN) March 4, 2024

As the local press published the news of the death sentence against the Brotherhood’s guide and 7 of his companions, the families of the detainees began to comment on the decision issued by the State Security Court.

For her part, Sanaa Abdel-Gawad, the wife of Dr. Mohamed El-Beltagy, said - in a post on her Facebook page - “Today the second ruling was issued by the State Security Court ratifying the death sentence against my husband, Dr. Mohamed El-Beltagy, and 7 others in the platform case. El-Beltagy, whose only martyr daughter was killed - God willing - Asmaa is in Rabaa Square. He has become accused of several cases, and today is the second death sentence in a state of oppression and injustice. Only God can write them down. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.

Maryam Hegazy also commented on the news - with the publication of a picture of her father, Safwat Hegazy - by saying, “This is a picture of Baba today in the session, and the last time we saw Baba or heard any news about him was in 2019. I saw the picture by chance here, and I stood in front of it so much I couldn’t believe it.” All these years I have returned, and how has my father become so disabled and grown (like this), that he is sitting with a crutch!”

Maryam continued, "I don't know how to be sad about the picture and the situation they are in, nor be happy that we reassured him, and that he is still alive and well, and that we finally saw a picture that reassured him after all these years."

This is a picture of Baba today in the session, and the last time we saw Baba or heard any news about him was in 2019. I saw the picture by chance here and stood in front of it for a long time. I can’t believe how all these years have come back and how Baba has become so disabled and grown to the point that he is sitting with a crutch!!


I don't know how to be sad about the picture and the situation they are in or be happy that we are reassured... pic.twitter.com/RDYaWe9Kl2

- mariam safwat hegazy (@Mariam_S_Hegazy) March 4, 2024

Ahmed Osama - the son of former Egyptian Youth Minister Osama Yassin - commented on the decision by saying, “My father is one of these seven, and by God, I did not know about this news before except from the news! This indicates immorality, as people of advanced age are sitting in prisons, held in solitary confinement. They are prohibited from visiting and communicating with their families or lawyers in any way, and on top of that, they are sentenced to death! By what right! Egypt will not advance this injustice.”

My father is one of these seven


, and by God, I did not know about this news before except from the news!


This indicates immorality, as elderly people languish in prisons, held in solitary confinement, prohibited from visiting and communicating with their families or lawyers in any way, and on top of that, they are sentenced to death!

By what right!


Egypt will not move forward with this injustice.

https://t.co/S1kMgoDC67

- Ahmed Ossama (@AhmedOsamaYasin) March 5, 2024

Human rights organizations also commented on the execution decision, describing it as arbitrary. The Adalah Foundation for Human Rights said, “Arbitrary death sentences... the second death sentence for Mohamed El-Beltagy, Osama Yassin, and Safwat Hegazy in the case of the platform events.”

The Morsi Foundation for Democracy condemned the political death sentences - as described - and wrote: “The Foundation rejects the farcical sentences that included Dr. Mohamed Badie, Dr. Mohamed El-Beltagy, Dr. Mahmoud Ezzat, Dr. Safwat Hegazy, Dr. Assem Abdel-Majed, Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Maqsoud, and Dr. Osama.” Yassin, and Dr. Amr Zaki in the platform case,” indicating that the regime continues “the process of politicizing the judiciary,” according to the statement.

Morsi Foundation for Democracy condemns political death sentences

The Morsi Foundation for Democracy condemns the political death sentences issued against a number of politicians, most notably the General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Dr. Mohamed Badie, in the so-called Platform Events case.

The institution rejects the farcical rulings that… pic.twitter.com/kiPUvQPIXt

— Morsi Foundation For Democracy (@morsidemocracy) March 4, 2024

The Foundation called on those it described as the free people of the world and international institutions to reject these unjust rulings adopted by tyrants to harass politicians.

The Brotherhood described the sentences against its members and leaders as “vindictive and unjust.”

The rulings issued were considered "lacking the slightest degree of credibility and devoid of justice and integrity."

It called on the free world and all its institutions and organizations to stop implementing these provisions.

The decision of the State Security Court in Egypt to execute the Muslim Brotherhood’s guide and 7 of the group’s leaders sparked widespread controversy on Egyptian and Arab social media platforms.

Some observers described the decision as “politicized and unjust,” especially since there is no real evidence to convict those who were sentenced to death.

Tweeters demanded freedom and justice for political detainees in Egyptian prisons, and said that Dr. Mohamed Badie, who is being tried in dozens of cases and received three death sentences, is a university professor who worked as a professor of pathology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Beni Suef University, according to the Arab Scientific Encyclopedia issued by the Commission. Egyptian General Information Office (official) in 1999. He was classified as one of the 100 greatest Arab scientists.

Freedom and justice for political detainees in Egyptian prisons.

- Mahmoud Najib Asaad (@mahmoudnajib123) March 5, 2024

This man (Mohamed Badie) will be executed as a result of 100% fabricated charges. I am almost certain that he did not cause the death of a single person. He is the author of the saying: Our peace is stronger than bullets. Oh God, for the great injustice in Egypt. Criminals and corrupt people are escaping punishment, and innocent people are falling victim to cover up the crime. Crimes of those in power

- Asi (@as04265016) March 5, 2024

Others pointed out that “although Badie and the leaders who were sentenced to death were not among those present at the platform events, nor were they among the security forces that killed the protesters, they were considered responsible for the massacre,” according to one of them’s tweets.

A picture of the guide of the Muslim Brotherhood while he is standing.

He spoke to the Egyptians in the platform events...that's why the court sentenced him to death.

He and seven other leaders of the group.

pic.twitter.com/iIO5A55VG1

— Ali Bakry (@_AliBakry) March 5, 2024

Others commented on the decision by saying: “Only in Egypt do we have cases regarding all the massacres committed by the security forces against the protesters and demonstrators: a case in the name of the Rabaa events, a case in the name of the Platform events, and a case in the name of the Ramses events, but the ones being tried and imprisoned, and even executed, are the demonstrators.” themselves!!".

On July 27, 2013, clashes broke out in the vicinity of the memorial in Nasr City (east of Cairo), close to the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square sit-in - the largest sit-in of supporters of the late President Mohamed Morsi - between protesters and police forces, known as the “platform events,” which led to 80 people were killed and more than 300 injured.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies + social networking sites