CAIRO, May 17 (Aswat Masriya) - An Egyptian court handed sentences of 15 years to lifetime imprisonment to 27 "Muslim Brotherhood members" on Monday for "belonging to a terrorist organisation" and breaking the protest law.

The terrorism circuit of the Zagazig Criminal Court sentenced 25 people to life and two to 15 years, while 13 were bailed.  

Public prosecution previously referred 40 defendants to court on charges of belonging to a "terrorist organisation," breaking the protest law, and possession of "weapons and fire games with the intention of killing civilians, halting traffic, cutting off roads, resisting authorities, and destroying private and public facilities."

Egypt listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in December 2013 and insists it is behind the stringent wave of militancy which has targeted security personnel since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who hails from the group, in July last year. The Brotherhood continuously denies the accusations, distancing itself from one militant attack after the other.

In September 2014, an urgent matters court ordered the confiscation of the Muslim Brotherhood’s capital and dissolving any organisations affiliated with it.