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.
--PUNCH
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