Mohammed Morsi sentenced to death over his part in a mass prison break during 2011 uprising

 

An Egyptian court on Saturday May 16,2015 sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi to death over his part in a mass prison break that took place during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Mohammed Morsi is already serving a 20-year prison term for ordering the arrest and torture of protesters while in power

Mohammed Morsi was among more than 100 other defendants to be sentenced to death for their involvement in mass jail breaks during the 2011 uprising against Egypt's then-president, Hosni Mubarak.
Morsi, who escaped from Wadi Natroun prison in January 2011, was accused of colluding with foreign militants in a plot to free Islamists during the mass prison breaks.

Many of his co-defendants were Palestinians accused of being members of militant group Hamas, and were charged in absentia.


 As is customary in passing capital punishment, Judge Shaaban el-Shami referred his death sentence on Morsi and others to the nation's top Muslim theologian, or mufti, for his non-binding opinion.

Mohammed Morsi, who also faces espionage charges, will be issued a verdict in that case at a later date.

Note

Mohammed 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.

The armed forces, led by then-military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, ousted Morsi in July 2013.

In May 2014, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi became president after securing a landslide victory in presidential elections with a turnout of 46%.