Update | Egypt recommends death sentences for 683, including leader of Muslim Brotherhood
Brutal crackdown on supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Mursi continues
An Egyptian court has handed down a death sentence on the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 682 supporters, intensifying a crackdown on the movement that could trigger protests and political violence ahead of an election next month.
A death penalty for Mohammed Badie, the Brotherhood's general guide, will infuriate members of the Brotherhood which has been the target of raids, arrests and bans since President Mohammed Mursi was deposed by the military in July.
Watch: Egypt court sentences 683 to death including Brotherhood chief
The movement says it is committed to peaceful activism. But some Brotherhood members fear pressure from security forces and the courts could drive some young members to violence against the movement's old enemy, the Egyptian state.
In a separate case, the court handed down a final capital punishment ruling for 37 others. The 37 death sentences were part of a final judgement on 529 Muslim Brotherhood supporters who were sentenced to death last month. The remaining defendants were sentenced to life in jail, judicial sources said.
