Court Re-Opens Ansar Beit El Maqdis Case for Argument

H-Tayea

The Cairo Criminal Court decided on Monday to reopen the case of 213 defendants of Ansar Beit El Maqdis terrorist group for further arguments that will continue for four days starting Thursday.

The court decided to schedule a date for issuing a ruling in the case, which was slated for September 2.

The verdict was issued by Chancellor Hasan Farid and advisers Fathy Al-Ruwaini and Khaled Hammad.

The defendants of the terrorist group are charged with involvement in 54 terrorist crimes against Egyptian police troops and security premises.

The crimes committed by the defendants include a failed assassination attempt against former interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim, the murder of a number of police officers and attacks on security facilities, including the security directorates of Cairo, Dakahlia and South Sinai.

Investigations revealed that the defendants were trained in the camps of Ezzel Din el Qassam, the military wing of Palestinian movement Hamas and that they plotted to target ships transiting the Suez Canal.

They also face charges of joining a terrorist group aiming at disrupting national security, collaborating with a foreign organization represented in Hamas to sabotage State institutions, illegal possession of arms and ammunition and premeditated murder.

The 54 terrorist crimes the defendants are implicated in had left 42 policemen and 15 civilians dead and 349 others wounded.

Ansar Beit El Maqdis has claimed responsibility for most of the major attacks against security forces and their installations, with the deadliest assaults took place in Sinai.