Egypt rejects criticism of mass death sentences

, May 1:

has voiced rejection of the criticism of recent court verdicts of mass death sentences to the Muslim Brotherhood supporters, terming it "unacceptable interference" in judicial affairs.

"We reaffirm the independency of the Egyptian judiciary and reject any interference from anybody, whether it is a country or an organization," Justice Minister Nayer Osman said in a press conference Wednesday.

Minya Criminal Court on Monday sentenced 683 Brotherhood supporters, including the group's top leader Mohamed Badie, to death over assaulting and murdering policemen in Minya province last year.

The same court sentenced 37 Brotherhood members and supporters to death and ordered life imprisonment of 492 others in a similar case in the Upper Egyptian province.

Last December, the Brotherhood group, from which Morsi hailed, was blacklisted by the interim-government as "a terrorist organisation".

IANS