title: economists sign letter urging america not to vote for donald trump
text: egypt the file photo shows mohammed badie a senior figure of egypts now outlawed muslim brotherhood 
  egypts appeals court has upheld a draconian life sentence that was handed down to mohammed badie the spiritual leader of the now outlawed muslim brotherhood 
  the court ruled on wednesday that badie along with  others who served as ministers in the government led by the countrys first democratically elected president mohamed morsi who was supported by the brotherhood between  and  deserved life behind bars for inciting violence and murder 
  badie has been viewed as a key element in the muslim brotherhood a party which operated under numerous restrictions during the era of the countrys former dictator hosni mubarak the senior brotherhood figure played a major role in the popular uprising that led to the ouster of mubarak in january  
  during the wednesday session the court also upheld the death sentences for  other individuals who had been tried in absentia 
  a criminal court in  tried  defendants who include former youth and supplies ministers for charges of murder attempted murder resisting authorities assaulting policemen sabotage and blocking a main road in the nile delta city of qalyubia 
  the general legal procedure against the muslim brotherhood began in july  when morsi was ousted in a military coup the head of the egyptian armed forces abdel fattah elsisi came to power afterward sisi is believed to have orchestrated the coup as well as the ensuing crackdown on the brotherhood 
  estimates provided by human rights campaigners show that  people have been killed and  have been arrested in relation to the crackdown on the members and supporters of the muslim brotherhood 
  morsi himself has been sentenced to  years in jail for escaping prison in  the appeals court endorsed the sentence last week rejecting his appeal loading