Egypt military court sentences terrorist Ashmawy to death
An Egyptian military court sentenced on
Wednesday terrorist leader Hisham Ashmawy to death, six months after he was
handed over to Egypt by Libyan forces, Egypt's army spokesman said.
Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special
forces officer, has been convicted in 14 crimes that took place mainly in 2013
and 2014. These include attacks on security and military checkpoints, including
a 2014 ambush that killed 22 Egyptian military border guards near the frontier
with Libya.
Ashmawy had already been sentenced to
death in absentia for attacks, including this one.
Other crimes listed by the court on
Wednesday include a failed assassination attempt on a former interior minister
in 2013, heading the Sinai-based Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis group and setting up an
Al-Qaeda-linked group. He was also convicted of targeting ships in the Suez
Canal and involvement in assaults on security buildings and armoured vehicles.
One of the most wanted Egyptian
militants, Ashmawy was apprehended in Libya in October 2018 and was handed over
to Egypt by the Libyan armed forces in May.
The transfer came following a meeting
between Libyan eastern commander Khalifa Haftar and Egyptian Intelligence Chief
Abbas Kamel in Benghazi.
