Egypt Court Sentences Morsi to Life in Prison and Khairat El-Shater and Al-Qaradawi and 14 others to death by hanging

An Egyptian court has sentenced former President Mohammed Morsi to life in prison, which holds a 25 year sentence, on charges of espionage. Khairat El-Shater, Mohammed El-Beltagy and 14 others were sentenced to death by hanging on the same charges.

Deposed President Mohammed Morsi had been preliminarily sentenced to death on charges of escaping from prison. The Court has referred the papers of Morsi and 104 others to the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s top Islamic scholar, for confirmation of the death sentences. The Court set June 2 as the date for confirmation of the final decision following the Grand Mufti’s advice.

Among the other defendants sentenced are Mohammed Badie, Khairat el-Shater and 120 others. Islamist scholar Al-Qaradawi, who is in Qatar, was also sentenced to death in absentia.

During the 2011 revolution, Egypt’s Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood escaped from Wadi al-Natroun prison. Charges were brought against Morsi and other defendants for damaging and torching prison buildings, murder and attempted murder of prison guards and looting.

Morsi was also charged with espionage and communicating with foreign elements to hinder Egypt’s national security, but was not sentenced to death on this charge. Muslim Brotherhood leaders Khairat El-Shater, Mohammed El-Beltagy and 14 others were found guilty and sentenced to death for leaking state secrets on Saturday.