The court's verdict comes two months after it convicted 19-year-old Ahmed El-Sonbaty
| ...who has been described as an extremist with a criminal record, whatever that means... |
The preliminary sentence was referred to the country's Grand Mufti, whose opinion is legally required in death penalty
cases, although it is not binding.The final sentence, issued with the Mufit's approval, can still be appealed.
El-Sonbaty was convicted of killing Coptic Orthodox priest Samaan Shehata in Cairo's El-Salam city and assaulting another called Beyman Moftan.
He was found guilty of premeditated murder of the Coptic priest, who hailed from Beni Suef Governorate in Upper Egypt.
According to investigations by the prosecution, El-Sonbaty does not suffer from a mental illness and was "fully conscious" while committing his crime.
The prosecution added that El-Sonbaty said he did not know Arch Shehata personally, but he attacked him using a cleaver as soon as he saw him wearing a Coptic vestment.