World Bulletin/News Desk

Egyptian courts sentenced seven supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi to death during October and also handed prison sentences – amounting to a total of 1,512 years – to 173 backers of the ousted president during the same month, a local NGO said.

The Egyptian Observatory for Rights and Freedoms, which was established only last year, added in a statement that Egypt's courts had looked into 30 cases, involving 428 political detainees during October.

It said seven defendants were sentenced to death, whereas 173 others were handed combined prison sentences up to 1,512 years.

"Thirty-nine defendants were sentenced to life in prison [25 years of imprisonment[," the NGO said in the statement.

It added that 248 other defendants were cleared of the charges initially leveled against them. It noted, however, verdicts in this regard can be appealed.

The NGO said the courts had also fined the defendants a total of $280,000 during October.

While rights organizations talk about the presence of political prisoners in Egyptian jails, Egyptian authorities say those in prison are involved in criminal offences.

Thousands of backers of the ousted president were put in jail since Morsi's ouster by the military on July 3 last year.

Most of these people were accused of involvement in violence and attacking government facilities.