London, Dec 4 (IANS): British Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood has expressed his concern over the 188 death sentences awarded by an Egyptian court and urged the authorities to review the verdicts.

An Egyptian court Tuesday sentenced 188 people to death for murdering 11 police officers in 2013, Xinhua reported citing Ahram Arabic news.

"Such excessive sentences undermine international confidence in the rule of law and hopes of a transition towards a more democratic and stable Egypt," Ellwood said in a statement.

Ahram said the ruling is preliminary and it will be referred to the Grand Mufti, Egypt's highest Islamist legal official, for a legal opinion before carrying out the executions.

In August last year, dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district of Giza governorate.

A total of 11 policemen and two pedestrians were killed in the incident, known as the "Kerdasa massacre."