The Giza Supreme State Security Court (Emergency) resumes today (Sunday) its fifth session to try 84 Muslim and Christian defendants facing charges of involvement in the sectarian clashes that broke out in the area of Imbābah on May 27-28, 2011, which left 31 people dead and 25 others wounded.

The court will hear ‘Abīr Fakhrī, the woman who sparked the strife. Earlier sessions were not held because there were no policemen securing the court.

Public Prosecutor ‘Abd al-Majīd Mahmūd had referred the 84 suspects – 33 Muslims and 51 Christians – to the criminal court on charges of illegal assembly, premeditated murder, jeopardizing public peace and order, causing a sectarian strife, deliberately setting the Virgin Mary Church on fire and unlicensed possession of arms and munitions with the aim of carrying out a terrorist act.

There will be two docks inside the courthouse, one for Christian defendants and another for the Muslim ones, in order to avoid any possible clashes between the two sides. [Author Not Mentioned, al-Akhbār, April 1, p. 14] Read text in Arabic