Egypt's Court of Cassation rejected on Sunday an appeal by 18 Muslim Brotherhood members against an order placing them on an official list of "terrorist organizations."

The appeal was filed by several leading figures in the now-banned Islamist group, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie, along with Mohamed Mahdi Akef, Saad El-Katatny, Khairat El-Shater, Mohamed El-Beltagy, Essam El-Erian, Mahmoud Ezzat and Hossam Abu Bakr.

They were appealing against an order issued by the country's general prosecutor following the designation of the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in December 2013 in the aftermath of deadly attacks on security forces by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Several of the leaders, including Badie, have had several death sentences issued against them, as well as prison sentences in various cases related to violence.

In one such case, known as the "Mokattam clashes", relating to a deadly standoff outside the Brotherhood's headquarters that took place weeks before Morsi's ouster, the Islamist figures were found guilty of murder, attempted murder and arms possession.

Since 2014, Egypt has been attempting to expand the designation of the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation internationally, particularly in the UK and US.

Egyptian officials are expected to attempt to convince US President Donald Trump and his administration to declare the Brotherhood a terrorist organization during President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's visit to Washington this week.

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/262100.aspx