An Egyptian judge sentenced to death 529 supporters of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Monday for the murder of one police officer.

The verdict came down after only two court sessions, and the second lasted just around five minutes. Only 147 suspects were present at the trial, according to the BBC. The rest were convicted in absentia, and another 683 Morsi supporters will be tried on Tuesday.

The sentence will now be approved or refuted by the Grand Mufti, an Islamic scholar who is the highest religious authority in the country. In the meantime, the defendants are expected to appeal, and it seems improbable that the sentences will be carried out, as similar sentences in Egypt have been reduced plenty of times before.

The group of around 1,200 were arrested last August after a pro-Morsi sit-in protest turned brutal when government security forces attacked Morsi supporters. Around 900 died in the violence, and now those arrested have been charged with the murder as well as attacking a police station and trying to kill two other officers.

Tension between the Egyptian government and Morsi supporters, almost all of whom are members of a religious group known as the Muslim Brotherhood, have been rife since the military deposed the former president last July. Hundreds have died in clashes among pro-Morsi groups, anti-Morsi groups and government forces, and upwards of 16,000 political dissidents have been arrested, according to The Guardian.

The final trial session is currently set for April 28.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.