Egypt refers 8 Copts to court over anti-Muslim film

  A man holds placards condemning an alleged U.S.-made movie that insults the Prophet Mohammed, in front of the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 12, 2012. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

Sept. 19  (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Prosecutor General Abdel- Maguid Mahmoud referred seven United States-based Egyptian Copts and one American to criminal court over an anti-Muslim U.S. made film, state media reported on Tuesday.

The defendants were accused of committing crimes related to unity, independence of the nation and safety of its land, as well as blasphemy, official news agency MENA reported.Those crimes, according to Egyptian laws, may lead to death sentence, the report added. The defendants were also ordered to be placed on Cairo airport' s watch list. Mahmoud also ordered to urgently notice the international Interpol to arrest them.

Several thousands of Egyptians on Sept. 11 surrounded the U.S. embassy in protest of the movie that the Muslim community deems insulting to Prophet Mohammed. One died, and more than 250 people were injured in clashes between the protesters and security forces. The movie infuriated the Muslim communities worldwide and in particular sparked protests and assaults against the U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Tunis and Yemen, which killed four U.S. diplomats in Libya on Sept. 11.   (Xinhua)