Egypt refers 6 death sentences to religious authority

CAIRO – An Egyptian court has referred the case of six alleged Muslim Brotherhood members convicted of terrorism to the Grand Mufti, Egypt's top religious authority, for a non-binding opinion on their execution.

The Cairo Criminal Court said Wednesday the six were found guilty of killing three people, including a policeman, among other charges. The case includes a total of 70 defendants.

The verdict can be appealed, and the judge can rule independently of the Grand Mufti.

The Brotherhood won a series of free elections after Egypt's 2011 uprising. A Brotherhood figure, Mohammed Morsi, was elected president in 2012, but was overthrown by the military a year later amid mass protests against his divisive rule. The group is now branded a terrorist organization.