Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Blog 1: 230 Sentenced To Life By Egyptian Court

230 people have been sentenced due to their involvement to the country's uprising in 2011. These mass protests was also what made longtime autocratic President Hosni Mubarak leave his position. Those 230 includes one of the leading activists behind the riot, Ahmed Douma. During the trials everyone was tried except for Douma, a secular activist who was in the midst of already serving a three year sentence. The minors received 10 years in prison instead. Douma was fined 2.2 million for building damages made throughout the protests. Judge Mohammed Nagi Shehata sentenced 183 assumed President Morsi supporters to death on the killings of policeman during the protests in Cairo. Thousands of government opponents and protestors are being put to trial. There have been a wide range of approved grim sentences put upon these people even though earlier verdicts on Mubarak, his sons and security officials were overturned over any corruption and killings of protestors. Many are against the rulings of Shehata's as people believe that Shehata only has a "political stance where he perceives the youth who led the uprising as a bunch of crooks and police as victims".

Government officials are still trying to punish those involve with the Cairo protests, however the ruling made Judge Shehata this week is considered the heaviest sentenced against secular activists. I believe the court decision is harsh and unfair due to the fact that Judge Shehata seems to already have a set opinion, which is dislike, on the protestors. Also the favoritism and corruption shown to those in higher status who will not be charged with the same crimes they are claiming the protesters have committed. Though I'm not saying the protesters should not receive some from of consequence for the events that occurred, but the continuous death sentences to anyone involved is excessive and unnecessary. If the protestors are getting sentenced for the same crimes that officials have committed then the sentences need to be distributed to all parties instead of getting targeted towards one specific group. 

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/02/04/world/middleeast/ap-ml-egypt.html?ref=world&_r=0

Rachel Ear
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
2:07 PM

No comments: