Egypt: Mohamed Morsi’s defense team appeals his death sentence

Formed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in court
(Image: Daily News Egypt)

Defense team of Egypt’s ousted Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsi filed an appeal against his death sentence in the so called “Wadi Al-Natroun prison break case” on Saturday, 15 August.

On 16 May 2015 Cairo Criminal Court ruled a death sentence to Mohamed Morsi in a case of his prison break in January 2011, during the popular January 25 uprising. Court issued preliminary death sentence for Mohamed Morsi and 105 other co-defendants. Prosecution charged them with a prison break, murder, an attempted murder of security personnel, looting of the prison’s weapons depot, setting fire to buildings and releasing the prisoners.

In June Egypt’s Court sentenced Mohamed Morsi for life in prison in an espionage case. Mohamed Morsi was accused of spying for Hamas and other Islamist organization and transferring to the information regarding Egypt’s security situation. The Court sentenced other 15 co-defendants to death in this case, among them prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders Khairat El-Shater and Mohamed El-Beltagy.

Thus, defense team of Egypt’s former President filed an appeal against the death sentence in the prison break case and against the life in prison in an espionage case.

Morsi’s lawyer Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maqsood told the local media that the defense team is ready to provide the court with all the necessary papers in Wadi Al-Natroun jailbreak case. As for the espionage case the lawyers’ team has issued a memorandum where the lawyers cited 11 reasons in the appeal of a sentence. The reasons cited in memorandum are related to lack of evidence in this case, according to the defense team.

Mohamed Morsi’s lawyer also added that the verdicts in both cases against Mohamed Morsi were based on lack of evidence and were politically motivated.

Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the decree of Egypt’s Armed Forces in the beginning of July 2013 amid the massive nationwide protests against his rule and Muslim Brotherhood policies. Morsi’s ouster was followed by the massive Islamist demonstrations and a government’s crackdown of the members and supporters of Muslim Brotherhood group. Mohamed Morsi along with other prominent Islamist figures and leaders of the movement was imprisoned and face several charges in court.