Egyptian courts have sentenced six people to death for passing state secrets to Qatar.

Among the six are two Al-Jazeera journalists, who were accused of illegally passing documents in relation to Egyptian national security to Qatar.

They are also accused of passing these documents to a Doha-based TV network, during the rule of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, prior to his forced removal from the position.

The two Al-Jazeera journalists, as well as one other defendant, were tried in absentia.

Former President Morsi's verdict has been delayed, but he has already been convicted to 20 years in prison based on three previous trials.

Judge Mohammed Shireen Fahmy stated that case documents pertaining to all six would be sent to the Grand Mufti, Egypt's top religious authority, for his review, as to whether the death penalty would be supported or suggested for a lesser punishment instead.

The Mufti's opinion is not binding and the six will be sentenced alongside the other five defendants.