Egypt trial: has justice been done?
Hundreds of people are sentenced to death in a case condemned as a violation of human rights.
Mass trials in Egypt have drawn widespread condemnation. Hundreds of Egyptians have been sentenced to death for their role in the killing of a policeman.
It is the largest mass death sentence anywhere in the world, in recent years.
A total of 1,200 people were collectively charged with murder following rioting in August. 529 defendants were sentenced to death on Monday. The trial of a further 682 people was adjourned on Tuesday.
A statement by Human Rights Watch said: “It’s shocking even amid Egypt’s deep political repression that a court has sentenced people to death without giving them any meaningful opportunity to defend themselves.”
Egypt has come under increased pressure for its record on human rights in recent months – accused of a violent crackdown on political dissent.
So has justice been done in Egypt? Or are the trials part of a wider campaign to silence government critics.
Presenter: Jane Dutton
Guests: Yehia Ghanem – a newspaper editor in exile, who was sentenced to two years in prison in Egypt for working with a foreign non-governmental organisation
Nicholas Piachaud – North Africa campaigner for Amnesty International
Frank Wisner – a former US ambassador to Egypt