Egypt begins trial of accused in sectarian clashes that killed 15

Jul 3, 2011, 13:39 GMT

Cairo- An Egyptian emergency court on Sunday began the trial of 48 Muslims and Christians charged with inciting deadly sectarian clashes in Cairo's Imbaba district in May.

Of the 48 accused, only 29 appeared in court amid tight security on the outskirts of Cairo, police sources said. The rest remain at large and are to be tried in absentia.

Fifteen people died and 230 were injured in the clashes in which ultraconservative Muslims and Coptic Christians fought over the whereabouts of a woman, who fundamentalist Salafist Muslims believed was being held hostage in a church in Imbaba after converting to Islam. Two churches were torched.

As the defendants denied the charges during Sunday's hearing, an estimated 150 Salafists demonstrated outside demanding the release of Abu Yehia, a key Salafist leader who was detained in connection with the same case.

Some of the defendants told the court that they had not been questioned by police on the charges against them. They have been in custody since the clashes.

Their lawyers questioned their trial at an emergency court whose rulings cannot be appealed.

The trial was to resume on September 4 when witnesses would be cross-examined, judicial sources said.

Such tribunals were set up under an emergency law, which has been in place in Egypt since 1981.

Egypt's military rulers, who have been governing since former president Hosny Mubarak was ousted in February, have said the emergency law will be lifted before elections scheduled for September.

Relations between Egypt's Muslims and Christian minority are generally good. But over recent years, tensions between them have occasionally flared up over conversions and disputed places of worship.