Egypt freezes more than 1,000 alleged Muslim Brotherhood charities

An Egyptian judicial committee on Tuesday announced an asset freeze of more than 1,000 charities tied to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, as well as those of hospitals and individuals.

The funds of 1,133 charities were to be frozen, the committee said in a statement, as well as numerous other entities it said were owned by the Brotherhood.

The decision came after a law was passed earlier this year to oversee the freezing of assets of "terrorists" and "terrorist groups". 

The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and designated a terrorist organisation in Egypt in December 2013, months after the military ousted president Mohamed Morsi following mass protests against his rule. 

The judicial committee additionally announced that the assets of 1,589 Brotherhood members would be frozen, including some of the movement's leaders.

Some 118 companies, 104 schools, 69 hospitals and 33 websites and satellite channels were also hit with an asset freeze.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged Egypt's appeals court to overturn mass death sentences handed down by a lower court after what she said was an "unfair trial".

The former Chilean president, who took office as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last week, also criticised a law giving immunity from future prosecution to senior military officers.

An Egyptian court on Saturday delivered death sentences to 75 people, including prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders Essam el-Erian and Mohammed Beltagi, over a 2013 sit-in that ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters.

Amnesty International condemned the sentencing, calling the trial "disgraceful".