Egypt court postpones verdict for brother of al-Qaeda leader
An Egyptian court postponed its verdict in the trial of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's brother and 66 others accused of forming a "terrorist group" to carry out attacks.
State news agency MENA said the court in Cairo would announce its verdict on 10 August to allow for "further deliberations".
Mohamed al-Zawahiri was arrested in August 2013 in the wake of the army's overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi. Two years earlier, in 2011, al-Zawahiri was arrested by Egyptian authorities mere days after being granted amnesty. He was tried in court in 2012 for terrorism, but was acquitted of all charges.
Zawahiri and his co-defendants are accused of creating a group linked to al-Qaeda and allege that he plotted attacks on government installations, security forces and Egypt's Christian minority. His lawyer has denied all the charges.
In particular, the Egyptian government has charged al-Zawahiri with creating the group and arming its members.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
