CAIRO — Egypt court refered 683 Morsi backers, including top Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie , to mufti to consider death penalty on Monday.

In a separate case, the same court also reversed 492 death sentences out of 529 it passed in March, commuting most of the death sentences to life in prison.

Monday's hearing in the southern province of Minya comes amid a brutal crackdown on Morsi supporters and the Brotherhood since the military overthrew him last July.

Seeking the death penalty for Mohamed Badie, the Brotherhood's general guide, is certain to raise tension in Egypt which has been gripped by turmoil since the army removed the Brotherhood from power last year.

The second batch, including Badie, had faced charges of the murder and attempted murder of several policemen during rioting by Morsi supporters in Minya on August 14.