Egyptian court sentences 529 Brotherhood members to death

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi shout slogans against the military and interior ministry while holding his poster and gesturing with four fingers in front of Al Rayyan mosque after Friday prayers in the southern suburb of Maadi, on the outskirts of Cairo December 27, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court sentenced 529 members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death for murder and other offences on Monday, in a sharp escalation of a crackdown on the movement that is likely to fuel instability.

Family members stood outside the courthouse screaming after the verdict - the biggest mass death sentence handed out in Egypt's modern history, defence lawyers said.