31 Egyptians get death sentence for killing top prosecutor

Cairo: A Cairo criminal court on Saturday sentenced 31 persons to death on charges of involvement in the assassination of Egypt`s former attorney general, officials said.

Hisham Barakat, who was 63 years old when he was appointed attorney general by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi following a military coup against Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, was assassinated in a June 2015 terror attack, Efe news reported.

The 31 men have been charged with crimes including premeditated murder, belonging to a terrorist group, joining a foreign terror organisation, possessing and manufacturing explosives, illegally possessing firearms and blades, illegally crossing the border and espionage.

The prosecution also accused them of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood -- considered a terrorist group by the current Egyptian government -- and to the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.

The ruling is set to be sent to the Egyptian Mufti, an Islamic scholar and legal expert, although his opinion is non-binding.

The definitive verdict is scheduled for July 22.