Egypt’s Former President Mohammed Morsi Sentenced To Death

An Eyptian court today sentenced
former Egyptian president Mohammed
Morsi to death over a mass prison break
in 2011, weeks after he was sentenced to
20 years in prison for ordering the
arrest and torture of protesters during
his time in power. Morsi was removed as
president y the military in July 2013
following mass street protests against his
rule. Since then, the authorities have
banned his Muslim Brotherhood
movement and arrested thousands of his
supporters.
All death sentences must first be sent to
the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s highest
religious authority, for his opinion on
whether they should stand.
Convictions are still open to appeal, even
if the Grand Mufti gives his approval.
Morsi’s supporters have said that the
cases against him are politically
motivated and attempts to give legal
cover to a coup, while Morsi has rejected
the authority of the courts.
Morsi was Egypt’s first freely elected
president, but protests began building
less than a year into his rule when he
issued a decree granting himself far-
reaching powers.