Egyptian Court Confirms Ousted President Morsi’s Death Sentence

An Egyptian court on Tuesday confirmed the death sentence of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi over a mass prison break during the country’s 2011 uprising, making him the first leader in Egypt’s modern history to potentially face execution.

While this is the first death sentence for Morsi, courts have handed out hundreds of similar sentences against Islamists in mass trials since his 2013 overthrow and a mass crackdown on dissent.

The ruling, which will be automatically reviewed by Egypt’s highest appeals court, brought no immediate outcry on the streets as thousands remain imprisoned, though the country faces threats from Islamic terrorists, including an affiliate of the Islamic State group.

It is not clear if Morsi will be executed. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military’s ouster of Morsi, repeatedly has defended the independence of the judiciary, though their mass rulings have faced international criticism.

Meanwhile, former autocrat Hosni Mubarak, overthrown in Egypt’s 2011 revolt and detained since, has eventually been cleared of corruption charges. He now only faces a November retrial on charges over the killings of protesters after initially receiving a life sentence.

Morsi, who served a year as Egypt’s first freely elected president, appeared in court Tuesday in a blue prison uniform, enclosed in a cage separate from other defendants held in a glass-covered cage covered in mesh wire. He first raised his arms to cameras and those in the courtroom. He listened to the verdict with a slight smile, but said nothing.

Judge Shaaban al-Shami, who led a panel of three judges, issued the ruling after he consulted with Egypt’s Mufti, a religious authority affiliated with the judiciary. The Mufti’s opinion must be sought in all capital punishment cases.

“The court panel has unanimously agreed that there is no room for leniency or mercy for the defendants,” al-Shami said.

The judge also confirmed death sentences for five imprisoned members of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, including Mohammed Badie, the group’s leader, and Saad el-Katatni, the head of its short-lived political party. Another 21 imprisoned defendants received life sentences, which in Egypt is equivalent to 25 years in prison.

Another 93 defendants tried in absentia, including Egyptian-born cleric Youssef el-Qaradawi, were sentenced to death, though they will be automatically retried once they are in custody.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the June 17th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.