The Criminal Court of Cairo ruled the execution of the 75 people, including 44 detainees on charges of the events during the evacuation of Rabaa Square.

The court sentenced 75 people to the death penalty, including an executive member of Muslim Brotherhood Muhammad al-Beltagi, in the hearing seen on Saturday.

While the decision of the court can be appealed, the court can appeal be within 60 days according to the law.

Deputy Chairman of Freedom and Justice Party Essam el-Erian, Muslim Brotherhood Organization Shura Council Member Abdurrahman al-Ber, Senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad al-Beltagi, senior Jemaah al-Islamiyah Asim Abdel Majid and Tareq al-Zumer were sentenced to death penalty by the court while Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's spiritual leader, was handed a life sentence.

Five years after the massacre carried out by the junta, Cairo's criminal court has handed down 75 death sentences, 47 life sentences, and heavy prison sentences ranging from 15 to five years to 612 people.

Prominent photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid was handed a five-year sentence but should walk free for time served. He was arrested in August 2013 while covering the killings in Cairo.

Cases were dropped against five people who lost their lives while in prison, judicial sources said.

In August 2013, up to 900 people were killed in Rabaa and nearby al Nahda square by security services [junta] after they gathered to demonstrate against the coup, which had removed the elected president Mohamed Morsi. 

Of the hundreds who were killed, six were from the security services while the others were protesters. Human Rights Watch described the event as the largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history.

Amnesty International condemned the mass sentences as a "disgrace" and described it as "mockery of justice".

"The fact that not a single police officer has been brought to account for the killing of at least 900 people in the Rabaa and Nahda protests shows what a mockery of justice this trial was," said Nadia Bounaim, Amnesty's North Africa director, in a statement. (ILKHA)