Muslim Brotherhood's senior member Mohamed El-Beltagy (L) gestures the four-fingered "Rabaa" hand symbol next to Islamist cleric Safwat Hegazis behind bars and glass panels from the defendant's cage, at a courtroom in Cairo August 7, 2014.Amr Dalsh / Reuters
An Egyptian criminal court sentenced a top Muslim Brotherhood member and a prominent Islamist preacher to 20 years in prison Tuesday after finding them guilty of abducting and torturing two police officers last summer and leading a terrorist organization, the country's official news agency reported.
Mohamed el-Beltagy, a leading member of the Brotherhood and secretary-general of its political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, was convicted alongside ultraconservative cleric Safwat Higazy on charges of kidnapping, detaining and torturing police officers in a field hospital during last summer's sit-in by supporters of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Mr. Morsi was ousted in July, 2013, following mass protests against him.
The two were also convicted of leading a terrorist organization founded to "attack the freedoms of civilians and harm national unity and society's well-being," the state news agency said. The government had declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organization soon after Mr. Morsi's ouster, accusing it of waging a violent campaign against the government. The group denied the allegation.
Two doctors present during the sit-in were also sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of torturing the officers and belonging to the Brotherhood.
Lawyer Mohammed el-Damaty, who represented Mr. el-Beltagy during the trial, said he quit the trial in recent weeks, accusing judges of bias against the Brotherhood. Mr. el-Damaty alleged the lead judge dismissed crucial evidence favouring the defendants.
Judges don't comment publicly on their rulings in Egypt. A new defence team took up the case before the verdict.
The Egyptian government has cracked down on the Brotherhood, killing hundreds of its members, arresting thousands more and carrying out mass trials following the July 3 military overthrow of Mr. Morsi.