Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Ousted Egyptian President Morsi Faces Murder Charges

Morsi faces murder charges in court on Wednesday

Ahram Online, Tuesday 7 Jan 2014

Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi is to appear in court in the second session of his trial for inciting murder, supporters call for protests

Charged with incitement of murder and violence outside the presidential palace in November 2012, ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and 14 co-defendants are to appear in court on Wednesday for the second session of their trial which started in November.

The first session was the first time Egyptians had seen Morsi since he was ousted from power in July. He is now awaiting trial in the heavily guarded Burg Al-Arab prison, west of Alexandria.

Among the defendants, seven of whom are being tried in absentia, are prominent Brotherhood members Mohamed El-Beltagi and Essam El-Erian, as well as several Morsi aides, and other well-known Islamist preachers and activists.

Morsi, El-Beltagi and El-Erian are to stand in a separate trial for espionage.

Morsi is also scheduled to appear in another trial on 28 January after being accused – along with 130 others – of breaking out of prison in January 2011.

The November trial session passed without incident despite widespread expectations of unrest. The pro-Morsi National Coalition in Support of Legitimacy has called for mass protests at Wednesday's trial venue.

The former president is being tried at the same court as his predecessor Hosni Mubarak, who faces charges of murder and corruption.

Egypt's interior ministry said the high profile trial would be secured by 20,000 police officers.

Thousands of Morsi supporters attacked a small opposition sit-in at the Ittihadiya presidential palace in November 2012 after Morsi issued a constitutional declaration granting himself extra powers. The ensuing clashes led to the deaths of nine people.

Morsi was removed from office by the military on 3 July after millions of Egyptians called for his overthrow in mass protests. The Brotherhood-dominated parliament was dissolved and the constitution drafted by the group and its allies was subjected to extensive amendments.

The amended charter is to be put to a referendum on 14 and 15 January.

The Muslim Brotherhood-led National Coalition in Support of Legitimacy does not recognise the trial and claims Morsi has been kidnapped by an illegitimate authority.

In the last court session, Morsi insisted he was still the legitimate president and denounced the trial as a farce. Other defendants condemned the army and chanted against the judiciary. The session had to go to into recess due to the objections.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/91058.aspx

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