Egypt hands life sentence to Muslim Brotherhood leader

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood leader was handed a life sentence on Sunday on charges of incitement to murder and violence during protests in 2013. 

Mohamed Badie, along with other senior Muslim Brotherhood leaders, has been tried and re-tried several times since the ouster of the democratically elected and Islamist Mohamed Morsi was ousted from office in July 2013.

Among the other leaders sentenced on Sunday include spokesman Essam al-Erian and senior member Mohamed El-Beltagy. 

Another defendant was handed a 15 year sentence, and three more were slapped with 10 year terms. 

The Giza Criminal Court previously handed Badie and others a life sentence for the 15 July death of protesters, but an appeals court later struck the ruling down. 

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A separate court referred Badie's file last month to Egypt's highest Muslim religious authority, the grand mufti, on whether a death sentence would be appropriate. 

Egyptian law requires any death sentence to be referred to the grand mufti. He has not released a decision. 

Since President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi took power in 2013, hundreds have been handed down death sentences as part of a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood but also other dissident groups.

Morsi, who only served as president for one year, is currently also behind bars on a life sentence.