Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi has condemned as "politicized" an Egyptian court’s decision to sentence hundreds of Muslim brotherhood members to death

Egyptian cleric Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi has condemned as "politicized" an Egyptian court's decision to sentence hundreds of Muslim brotherhood members to death.
  
The court on Monday imposed death sentences on 683 suspected Islamists -- including Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie -- amid a crackdown on supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammad Mursi.
  
The Association of Muslim Scholars responded by saying it "rejects these verdicts coming from a court that takes orders from those who came to power in a military coup and govern Egypt using coercion and repression."
  
In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the Qatar-based organization said the sentences were "politicized and considered an insult to justice" in Egypt.
  
The Minya court in southern Egypt is set to confirm the death sentences on June 21. It reversed 492 of 529 death sentences it passed in March, commuting most of them to life imprisonment.
  
Qaradawi, who was born in Egypt and is seen as a spiritual guide to the Brotherhood, issued a fatwa urging Egyptians to support Morsi, following his overthrow. The cleric is himself wanted by Egypt's military-installed authorities and faces being tried in absentia.