Hundreds of Egyptians could be executed following flawed and politically motivated trials. The Egyptian government seems intent on carrying out these death sentences now that the defendants have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal.
The Egyptian judicial system has, for all intents and purposes collapsed, as security forces-who are tasked with killing, arresting, torturing and fabricating cases against political opponents and protesters-continue to refer these political detainees to public prosecutors and special judicial branches chosen by the Minister of Justice, all for the purpose of bestowing upon these violations and illegal trials a semblance of legitimacy.
Thousands of people are being tried before Egyptian courts on offences related to their sacred and constitutionally protected right to express their opinions freely. Many have been sentenced to death, life imprisonment, various prison sentences and hefty fines.
All the trials that culminated in death sentences have lacked the most basic standards of a fair trial. The verdicts were politically motivated and dictated by government directives.
Although the Court of Cassation overturned some of the verdicts issued against political opponents, reviving the hopes of hundreds of others, it upheld the death sentence against an Egyptian who was later executed despite the deeply flawed nature of his trial.
Egypt’s Court of Appeals allocated nine circuits to review terror-related cases. Case files are available to lawyers and many others making it easy to refute the flimsy evidence and false testimonies contained therein. The extensive media coverage of court sessions also revealed the sheer absurdity and farcical nature of these trials.
In addition to these specialized circuits, Egyptian authorities introduced legislations broadening the powers of military judiciary to include charges related to opposing the government. These offences constitute the highest number of court cases since the 3 July 2013 military coup.
Recent verdicts by civil and military Egyptian judiciary clearly reflect the desire of the authorities to remove any political opposition through the courts. Many are already dying at torture centres, or due to medical neglect in prisons if they survive being shot at by security forces out on the streets.
This report seeks to examine the politicisation of the judiciary as it is brought under the control of the executive branch. Nowhere is this more evident than in the hundreds of death sentences issued against members of the political opposition. The report also sheds light on the danger these verdicts post to Egyptian peace and security and the importance of international pressure to put an end to these illegal practices.
