Egypt freezes assets tied to Muslim Brotherhood charities

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An Egyptian judicial committee on Tuesday announced it was freezing assets of more than 1,000 charities tied to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, including those of hospitals and individuals.

The funds of 1,133 charities were to be frozen, the committee said in a statement.

The decision came after a law was passed earlier this year to oversee the freezing of assets of "terrorists" and "terrorist groups."

The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and designated a terrorist organization in Egypt in December 2013, months after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi following mass protests against his rule.

Egyptian Judge Moataz Khafagy (C) chairs a trial at the Police Academy, Cairo, Egypt, May 8, 2017./VCG Photo

The judicial committee additionally announced that the assets of 1,589 Brotherhood members would be frozen, including some of the movement's leaders.

Some 118 companies, 104 schools, 69 hospitals and 33 websites and satellite channels were also hit with an asset freeze.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged Egypt's appeals court to overturn mass death sentences handed down by a lower court after what she said was an "unfair trial."

An Egyptian court on Saturday delivered death sentences to 75 people, including prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders Essam al-Erian and Mohammed Beltagi, over a 2013 sit-in that ended with security forces killing hundreds of protesters.

(Cover: Vice chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party Essam el-Erian during a trial at the Cairo Police Academy, Cairo, Egypt, May 20, 2017. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP