Egypt upholds death sentences of 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters

CAIRO, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- An Egyptian court upheld the death sentence convictions of 183 Muslim Brotherhood supporters for its apparent role in the deaths of more than a dozen police officers.

A police station near Cairo was attacked in 2013 after the crackdown by Egyptian military forces against the Muslim Brotherhood which led to the removal the elected President Mohammed Morsi.

In the courts rulings on Monday, 140 of the 188 defendants are already in custody and the remaining were sentenced while absent. A minor was sentenced to 10 years in prison and two defendants were acquitted.

#BREAKING: #Egypt court sentences 183 Muslim #Brotherhood supporters to death http://t.co/J2MeAmKRyU @bgnnewsturkey pic.twitter.com/QvGGZyx6Vz

— BGN News (@bgnnewsturkey) February 2, 2015

The rulings can be appealed. Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been sentenced to death in mass trials, but no executions have been carried out and many sentences have been overturned on appeal.

The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed in Egypt in 2013. Human rights groups accuse the government of suppressing opposition.