21 Egyptians sentenced to death on terrorism charges

A Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced 21 Egyptians to death by hanging on terrorism-related charges, state television reported.

Delivering its verdict, the Court, also sentenced seven others to jail terms ranging from 15 to 25 years.

All the rulings can be appealed.

Sixteen of the convicts were tried in absentia.

The defendants were charged with setting up an affiliate to the Islamic State terrorist militia in Egypt’s coastal city of Damietta.

They were also charged with planning attacks on security forces and illegal possession of weapons.

Egypt has seen a wave of deadly militant attacks since the army’s 2013 overthrow of the democratically elected, but divisive, Islamist president Mohammad Morsi.

Responsibility for most of those attacks has been claimed by the Islamic State terrorist organisation..