Egyptian media is reporting that Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi, along with 35 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members, has been referred by the country’s Attorney General for military prosecution in connection with the murder of a senior police officer. According to the Cairo Post report:
September 6, 2015 Egypt’s acting Attorney General Aly Omran referred Saturday 35 alleged Muslim Brotherhood members to the military prosecution for involvement in the murder of a senior police officer in April, Youm7 reported.
Out of 35 defendants, 24 are in custody while the other 11 including Islamist preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi are fugitives.
They are accused of assassinating the chief investigation officer of the Matariya Police Station colonel Wael Tahoun and his driver in a drive-by shooting in April 2014.
They defendants are also charged with orchestrating and carrying out several bombings in Cairo following the dispersal of pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-in at Rabaa al-Adaweya Square in August 2013.
Crimes committed against public facilities, military and police institutions are handled by the military judiciary, according to law issued by President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi in November 2014 following an armed attack that killed at least 30 security personnel in Sinai.
Egypt has witnessed a significant rise in militancy since the military-backed ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 following mass protests against his rule. According to the Interior Ministry, militant attacks have killed more than 500 security personnel since then.
The GMBDW reported in June that an Egyptian court had sentenced more than 90 Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood members to death in connection with the 2011 mass jailbreak at the center of previous court rulings. That sentence included the deposed President Mohamed Morsi, Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, and Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Qaradawi, sentenced in absentia.
For a profile on Youssef Qaradawi, go here.