[JURIST] The Giza Criminal Court in Egypt sentenced the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie [Washington Institute backgrounder], to death on Thursday for the second time in three months. Badie was sentenced [Daily Star Lebanon report] along with 13 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive] for allegedly inciting violence that resulted in the death of 10 people near the al-Istiqamah Mosque in the Giza neighborhood shortly after the removal of Mohammed Morsi [BBC profile] in July 2013. Among the 13 other convicted members of the Brotherhood, Thursday’s ruling [AP report] included senior members Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian [Washington Institute backgrounders].

Egypt’s military deposed then-president Morsi last July, and throughout the past year the military-backed government and court system has organized a massive political crackdown against Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, having jailed approximately 15,000 individuals since Morsi was removed from power. In April an Egyptian judge sentenced [JURIST report] Badie and a total of 683 alleged Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death. Earlier this week an Egyptian court sentenced [JURIST report] 12 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for the murder of former Deputy Director of Giza Security Nabil Farrag. UN human rights officials argued earlier this year that the mass trials in Egypt violate international law [JURIST report]. In May an Egyptian court broke the pattern of mass trials resulting in the death penalty, as the court acquitted 169 Brotherhood supporters [JURIST report] on charges of illegal gathering.