200 Muslim defendants plead innocent in Cairo

More than 200 members of an outlawed Muslim fundamentalist organization Sunday pleaded innocent to plotting to overthrow the Egyptian government.

The pleas by 235 followers of the Jihad (Holy Struggle) group brought the number of defendants pleading innocent to 280. The case involves 300 Jihad members - 20 of whom are still at large - and arises out of events after the assassination of President Sadat in October 1981. The prosecution called for the death sentence for all but three of the accused.