An Egyptian court sentenced Mohamed Badie, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other senior members of the group to death for “inciting chaos and violence”, a judge said in a televised session on Saturday.

The court also sentenced U.S-Egyptian citizen Mohamed Soltan to life in jail for supporting the group and transmitting false news. He is the son of Brotherhood preacher Salah Soltan, who was among those sentenced to death on Saturday.

The court also slapped 25 defendants, including Egyptian-American activist Mohamed Sultan, with life sentences each on charges of forming what came to be known as the "Rabaa Operations Room" during a sit-in in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

The defendants were accused of "masterminding a plot to sow chaos and storm and set fire to police stations, state institutions, public and private property and churches."

Prosecutors also accused the defendants of "coordinating with e-committees to disseminate doctored images of people killed and wounded protesters."

Saturday's verdicts are still subject to appeal.

Hundreds were killed when security forces violently dispersed two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Giza's Nahda Square last year.

The dispersal came only a few weeks after Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was forcibly removed from office by the army following massive opposition demonstrations against his one-year presidency.

The Egyptian government then launched a sweeping crackdown on Morsi's supporters, in which the Rabaa dispersal is widely seen as having been a turning point.

PHOTO CAPTION

Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie listens to lawyers as he sits behind bars during his trial with ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi and other leaders of the brotherhood at a court in the police academy on the outskirts of Cairo December 14, 2014.

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