Egypt seeks death penalty for alleged Hezbollah agents

Prosecutors sought the death penalty on Tuesday in the trial of 26 men suspected of planning attacks in Egypt and said a foreign state was involved in the plot, linked to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants.

The case has highlighted the worries of conservative Sunni Muslim states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia about the growing influence of Shi'ite Iran and groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and Syria.

Egypt alleges the accused planned attacks on foreign tourists and shipping in the Suez Canal.

"These attacks were planned by representatives of this foreign country that wants to spread its influence on the Arab and Muslim worlds. And Hezbollah is nothing but a tool used to carry out its wicked goals," prosecutor Amr Farouk told the emergency state security court. "We demand the maximum punishment on the traitors."

Hezbollah, listed as a terrorist group by the United States, was formed with the backing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards during Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

The prosecutor called for death sentences for six of the defendants, charged with terrorism and espionage-related offenses, a judicial source said.

Other charges against the 26 included giving information to a foreign organization, plotting attacks inside Egypt and possession of explosive material.

The defendants included two Lebanese, five Palestinians and one Sudanese. The rest were Egyptian.

Charges against the two Lebanese - Mohamed Qublan and Sami Chehab, also known as Mohamed Youssef Mansour Ahmed - included recruiting and financing the group and planning terrorist acts against Egypt.

"They were plotting terrorist actions under the guise of supporting the Palestinian resistance," Farouk said.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in April that Chehab was a member of the Lebanese group but had been in Egypt helping supply military equipment to Palestinians in their fight against Israel.

Nasrallah said Chehab had been helped by up to 10 other people but said others detained by Egypt had no links to Chehab.

Four men, including Qublan, were being tried in absentia. All those present denied the charges. The trial will resume on Feb. 20.