An Egyptian court sentenced former president Mohammed
Morsi to 20 years in prison on Tuesday in connection with the
deaths of protesters during demonstrations against his rule in
2012. Morsi also faces charges in two other trials.
Morsi supporters attacked opposition protesters outside the
presidential palace in December 2012, sparking clashes that
killed at least 10 people.
Judge Ahmed Youssef dropped the murder charges against
Morsi and said the sentence was instead linked to the “show
of force” against protesters and unlawful detentions.
The Cairo Criminal Court issued the verdict as Morsi and
other defendants in the case – mostly other Muslim
Brotherhood leaders – stood in a soundproof glass cage in a
makeshift courtroom at Egypt’s national police academy.
The country’s first freely elected president, Morsi took power
after the 2011 overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. Morsi himself was
ousted by the army in 2013 and put on trial as the new
regime of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi launched a relentless
crackdown on the moderate Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
Hundreds of Brotherhood members have since been sentenced
to death and thousands more jailed.
The Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement ahead of the
verdict on Tuesday denouncing the judiciary – calling it a tool
of repression – and calling for protests.
“The coup commander (Sisi) is exploiting the judiciary as a
weapon in the battle against popular will and the democratic
and revolutionary legitimacy represented by President
Mohamed Morsi,” the statement said.
The Brotherhood called for “non-stop revolutionary marches
and demonstrations” starting Tuesday in support of Morsi and
demanding his reinstatement.
The Muslim Brotherhood, now blacklisted by Egypt as a
“terrorist organisation”, has previously failed to mobilise large
numbers for its rallies because of persistent fears amid a
continuing crackdown.
Morsi also faces the possible death penalty in connection with
two other trials, including one in which he is accused of
leaking state secrets to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. He is
also accused of escaping from prison during the widespread
protests that eventually ousted Mubarak.
Separate verdicts in those two cases are due on May 16
