Egyptian court sentences former President Morsi to life in prison and 2 Aljazeera journalists, female reporter, to death
The court acquitted Morsi of charges of having supplied Qatar with
classified documents but sentenced him to life for leading an unlawful
organisation, his lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud told AFP.
The ousted president was also convicted of having “stolen secret
documents concerning state security” and handed another 15-year jail
term, the lawyer added.
Qatar was a main backer of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement
while he was in power between 2012 and July 2013, when the military
overthrew and detained him.
Morsi has been sentenced to death in a separate trial for his alleged
role in prison breaks and attacks on police stations during the 2011
uprising that overthrew veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak.
He has also received a life sentence and a 20-year jail term in two other trials.
On Saturday the court confirmed death sentences against six
defendants, including three journalists tried in absentia who allegedly
helped relay secret documents to Qatar.
The journalists, Ibrahim Mohamed Hilal and
Jordanian citizen Alaa Omar Mohamed Sablan, both of Qatar-based
Al-Jazeera channels. The third, Asmaa Mohamed al-Khatib, a female reporter with pro-Muslim Brotherhood news outlet Rassd.
The
three others sentenced to death, who were present at the trial, were
documentary producer Ahmed Abho, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohammed
Kilani and Ahmed Thabet, a university teaching assistant.
All
three convicted can appeal to the court of cassation. Those who were
tried in absentia can seek a retrial if they appear in person.
