Cairo Criminal Court referred four Muslim Brotherhood leaders Sunday, on trial for the killing of nine and injuring more than 90 in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in 2013, to Egypt's grand mufti to consider the death penalty.The defendants in the case include 17 Brotherhood leaders, among which are former Parliament Speaker Saad El-Katatni, Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, and his deputy Khairat El-Shater.
The top Brotherhood leaders involved in the case are not among those referred to the grand mufti.
The court has also set 28 February 2015 for a final verdict on the remaining defendants.
The defendants are accused of murder, inciting violence, and possession of live ammunition.
On 22 March 2013, fatal clashes erupted between Muslim Brotherhood members and anti-Mohamed Morsi protestors in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in the Moqatam district in Cairo.
Last week, Giza Criminal Court sentenced 188 defendants to death for a violent attack on a police station after last year's ouster of Morsi that left 11 police personnel and two civilians dead.
This is not the only mass death sentence issued by courts this year.
In March, Minya Criminal Court handed the death penalty to 529 persons for killing a police officer, committing acts of violence, rioting, destroying public and private property, attacking police officers, and attempted murder of police officers.
In April, the same judge handed the same sentence in a separate case to another 683 persons, also for killing a police officer, committing acts of violence, rioting, destroying public and private property, attacking police officers, and inciting violence.
Egypt's grand mufti approved death sentences for 37 in the first trial and 183 in the second, both of which the court upheld.
The two cases are currently being appealed.
