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.