Egyptian court orders retrial of Muslim Brotherhood leader

CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court has ordered a retrial of the Muslim Brotherhood’s leader Mohamed Badie and other senior figures from the banned group starting on Oct. 7, judicial sources and state news agency MENA said on Sunday.

Badie has been handed multiple death sentences and life prison terms in a series of trials since Egypt’s military ousted President Mohamed Mursi, also of the Brotherhood, in July 2013.

FILE PHOTO: Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie (C) reacts with other brotherhood members at a court in the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt May 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie shouts slogans against the Interior Ministry during a trial at a court on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Dalsh/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie waves with the Rabaa sign, symbolizing support for the Muslim Brotherhood, with other brotherhood members at a court in the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2015. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo

According to MENA, the retrial relates to a case in which Badie and 14 others were handed life sentences for incitement to commit murder and attempted murder of anti-Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators near the group’s headquarters in June 2013. Four others were sentenced to death in the February 2015 ruling.

The new charges include premeditated murder, attempted murder, beating to death and possession of unlicensed weapons, MENA reported. It did not explain why the charges were modified but according to Egyptian law charges can be altered if new evidence arises.

The retrial ordered by the Cairo Criminal Court affects only those in custody and not those defendants who were tried in absentia.

Khairat al-Shater, another senior Brotherhood figure is also among those to be retried, according to the state news agency.