Rights group demands Egyptian juvenile not be executed

CAIRO – Amnesty International is demanding that Egypt not execute a man arrested at age 17 ahead of an anticipated death sentence.

The rights group released a statement Friday saying that international human rights law prohibits the use of the death penalty against people who were under 18 at the time of the crime.

In April, an Egyptian court referred the case of Karim Hemada to the Grand Mufti, the highest religious authority in Egypt, to seek his opinion on the execution verdict, signalling the court’s intention to convict him and sentence him to death.

Hemada was 17 years old at the time of his arrest in January 2016. He is accused of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, possessing weapons, assaulting policemen and vandalizing properties in 2016. The verdict is expected Saturday.