Mohammad Morsi Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Egypt

An Egyptian court has sentenced Mohammad Morsi, the ousted president of the country, to 20 years in prison in connection with the killing of protesters in 2012. This is the first ruling against Mr. Morsi since the coup that led to his ousting. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday, April 20, that the sentence was issued while Morsi and other defendants, most of whom are leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, stood inside a glass cage in a temporary court within the National Police Academy of Egypt. The case pertains to the violence that occurred in December 2012 near the Egyptian presidential palace, where supporters of Mohammad Morsi attacked a gathering of opponents, ultimately resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people. However, Ahmed Youssef, the judge in this case, rejected the murder charge against Mr. Morsi, labeling his actions as 'use of force' and illegal detention of protesters. The report states that alongside Mohammad Morsi, 12 leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists, including Mohammad al-Beltagi and Essam al-Erian, were also sentenced to 20 years in prison. Morsi is also facing other charges and trials, including espionage for foreign countries. In this context, Imad al-Sharawi, the Egyptian prosecutor, stated that during his year as president, he provided confidential documents to foreign intelligence services, including Iran. He has also called for the death penalty for Mohammad Morsi. Recently, an Egyptian court issued a death sentence for Mohamed Badie, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other senior members of this political group. In related news, the Egyptian Supreme Court acquitted Hosni Mubarak of corruption charges.