Killer 'to be hanged on live TV' in Egypt after stabbing classmate who rejected him

27 July 2022, 06:08

Mohamed Adel (left) faces execution for killing university of Mansoura student Naira Ashraf, whose family are pictured.
Mohamed Adel (left) faces execution for killing university of Mansoura student Naira Ashraf, whose family are pictured. Picture: Getty

By Sophie Barnett

An Egyptian court is planning to broadcast the live hanging of a killer who stabbed his classmate to death when she rejected his marriage proposal.

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Mohamed Adel, 21, was convicted of murdering fellow student, Naira Ashraf, outside the Mansoura University in northern Egypt last month.

He was sentenced to death on July 6 after the gruesome stabbing of his classmate.

Mansoura Courthouse has now called for his execution to be broadcast live on TV to deter similar crimes from happening in future.

In its letter to Parliament, the court wrote: "The broadcast, even if only part of the start of proceedings, could achieve the goal of deterrence, which was not achieved by broadcasting the sentencing itself."

Adel murdered Ms Ashraf on June 20 as she stepped off a bus outside the university, where they both attended.

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Mohamed Adel has been convicted of Naira Ashraf's murder and could be hanged on live TV.
Mohamed Adel has been convicted of Naira Ashraf's murder and could be hanged on live TV. Picture: Getty

He was seen repeatedly stabbing the student, who was just about to sit her exams, in chilling daylight footage.

Adel repeatedly punched her in the head, jumped on her and slit her throat, with horrified onlookers seizing the suspect, local media said.

Ms Ashraf tragically died on the spot.

It later emerged that Adel had stalked his fellow student on Facebook and had resolved to kill her after she ghosted him and refused to marry him.

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Mohamed Adel faces an appeal to get his sentence reduced from the death penalty.
Mohamed Adel faces an appeal to get his sentence reduced from the death penalty. Picture: Getty

Adel pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to death, a decision that had to go to Egypt’s 'Grand Mufti' Dr Shawki Allam for approval.

The verdict, which may be appealed, was made public on July 24.

The defendant's lawyer Farid El-Deeb said his client would appeal the sentence.

"We still have 60 days to challenge death sentence against Adel," he is quoted as saying.

The last time a capital punishment was in 1998, when state television broadcast the execution of three men who had killed a woman and her two children at their home in Cairo.

The mother of murdered university of Mansoura student Naira Ashraf.
The mother of murdered university of Mansoura student Naira Ashraf. Picture: Getty

In Egypt, the method of execution for civilian convictions is hanging.