Advertisement

Ex-Egypt President Morsi Jailed Over Deaths

Ex-Egypt President Morsi Jailed Over Deaths

Ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has been jailed for 20 years over the deaths of protesters in 2012.

The decision against the Muslim Brotherhood leader, who was removed from power by the army in 2013 after protests against his presidency, was broadcast on state TV.

The conviction relates to the deaths of at least 10 people in clashes between Morsi's supporters and opposition demonstrators outside the presidential palace in December 2012, while he was still in power.

The judge dropped all murder charges in relation to the deaths and said the sentence against the country's first elected president was linked to the "show of force" and the unlawful detention of protesters.

Twelve other Muslim Brotherhood officials were also jailed for 20 years at the Cairo Criminal Court, which is sitting in a makeshift courtroom at Egypt's national police academy.

The defendants stood inside a soundproof glass cage as the verdicts were read out.

The verdict was the first to be issued against Morsi who faces the death penalty in several other trials.

Senior Muslim Brotherhood figure Amr Darrag condemned the ruling as a travesty of justice, "scripted and controlled by government".

He accused authorities of trying to "pass a life sentence for democracy in Egypt".

Morsi became Egypt's first freely elected leader in June 2012 in the wake of the popular uprising which ousted longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

A year later Morsi became the target of mass protests himself and was overthrown by army chief Abdel Fattah al Sisi.

Al Sisi's government has since launched a sweeping crackdown against Morsi's supporters and the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated a terrorist group.

Hundreds, including Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie , have been sentenced to death in speedy trials which the United Nations has described as "unprecedented in recent history".

Morsi is currently being held at a high security prison near the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

He had previously spent four months detained at an undisclosed location.

Tuesday's ruling can be appealed.