Hisham Barakat killing: 30 sentenced to death

A court in Cairo has recommended the death penalty for 30 people convicted of involvement in the killing of Egypt’s top public prosecutor.

Hisham Barakat was assassinated in a car bomb attack in June 2015.

He was the most senior state official to be killed by militants in recent years.

Mr Barakat had sent thousands of Islamists to trial since the overthrow of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-backed government in 2013.

Hundreds of Islamists were sentenced to death or life imprisonment, as part of a crackdown on supporters of the banned group.

Egypt blamed the Brotherhood and Gazabased Hamas militants for Mr Barakat’s killing, although both groups have denied they were involved.