Six people, including two Al Jazeera staffers, have been handed death sentences in Egypt for allegedly leaking state secrets to Qatar. They are Alaa Omar Mohammed Sablan and former director of news of Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel Ibrahim Mohamed Helal.

Helal slammed the verdict yesterday, calling it politically motivated, adding there was no appeal process. Al Jazeera also received the verdict “with shock, agitation and condemnation.”