Egypt

June 14 set for trial of 67 over top prosecutor assassination

Judge Ayman Abbas, head of the Cairo Appeal Court, set June 14 for the first session in the trial of 67 defendants accused of assassinating former top prosecutor Hesham Barakat.
 
The trial will be overseen by judge Hassan Farid.
 
The Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered on March 6 the detention of six suspects for 15 days pending questioning over the assassination of Barakat.
 
The suspects were arrested on the evening of March 5 and were interrogated on suspicion of premeditated murder, association with a terrorist organization and being in possession of weapons and explosives.
 
The six suspects belonged to the Sinai Province terrorist organization (formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis), judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm at the time of their arrest.
 
Barakat died of his injuries after a bomb blew up his car in Cairo on June 29, 2015. The car bomb struck his convoy as it was leaving his home in Cairo.
 
Initially, sources said a car bomber had rammed into the convoy. Later, they said the bomb was detonated remotely. Two civilians and two policemen were also wounded.
 
A little-known group calling itself the "Giza Popular Resistance" had claimed responsibility for the attack on its Facebook page, but the claim was taken down a few hours later.
 
Prior to the attack, Islamic State's affiliate in Egypt, Sinai Province group, urged followers to attack judges.
 
The Sinai Province group was initially known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, but changed its name in 2014, after it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. 
 
Sinai Province claimed responsibility for the killing of three judges in the north Sinai city of Arish in May 2015.
 
Barakat was appointed as chief prosecutor following the ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
 

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