[JURIST] An Egyptian prosecutor referred 187 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to a military court on Sunday. The supporters are accused of killing police officers while storming a Maghagha police station in the southern province of Minya in August 2013, only weeks after the removal of former president Mohamed Morsi [BBC profile]. Egypt had recently expanded the jurisdiction of its military courts in order to allow them to crackdown on liberal activism, especially such attacks on state facilities. It was originally only intended to be a crackdown on Islamists. The expansion came in response to some of the most serious attacks on security forces since the removal of Morsi in summer 2013. The supporters face charges [Reuters report] of murder and attempted murder of police officers, possessing weapons and joining a banned group. The Brotherhood says it is committed to political change through peaceful means only.

Political conflict in Egypt has been ongoing since the ouster of former president Morsi [JURIST news archive] in 2013, and political backlash has been particularly strong against his Muslim Brotherhood party. Late last month an Egyptian court acquitted [JURIST report] 68 people, including members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, who were charged with gathering illegally and attacking security forces earlier this year. Also in March an Egyptian court on sentenced [JURIST report] a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 13 others to death after finding them guilty of planning attacks against the state. In February An Egyptian court sentenced [JURIST report] four members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death, along with 14 others to life in prison. The individuals were accused of murder and possession of firearms, among other charges, after clashes near the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters, which occurred just days before the ouster of Morsi. Also in February an Egyptian court ordered the release [JURIST report] on bail of two Al Jazeera journalists being retried on terror charges.