Egypt denounced the critical reactions that poured in after a Cairo court referred ousted president Mohamed Mursi to the Grand Mufti, saying on Sunday that comments on the trial reflect “ignorance”.
On Saturday, the Cairo Criminal Court referred Mursi and 105 other defendants to the Grand Mufti to issue his opinion on handing them death sentences, for escaping from a prison. A referral to the mufti is a step that must be taken within Egypt’s court system ahead of handing a death sentence.
In response to global reactions, the Egyptian State Information Services (SIS) said in a statement that the defendants are not being tried in “exceptional courts” and that all litigation procedures are guaranteed in order to ensure that trials are fair.
In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministry reiterated that it is inappropriate to comment on the decisions and verdicts issued by the Egyptian judiciary, because of the implicit “intervention in Egypt’s internal affairs”, which is “rejected in form and substance.”
Criticism was leveled by several groups and countries, including the pro-Mursi Anti-Coup Alliance, the Palestinian Hamas movement, international watchdog Amnesty International, Turkey and the United States.
Among the most recent reactions is that of Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Youssef al-Qaradawi, one of the people whose papers were referred to the Grand Mufti. He said in a video aired today on Al Jazeera that “all of these verdicts are of no value.”
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it has followed the reactions with “extreme disappointment”.
In an espionage case, where Mursi is also a defendant, the court also decided yesterday to refer 16 defendants to the Grand Mufti to give an opinion on sentencing them to death but a decision on Mursi’s fate in this case and 19 other defendants will be issued on June 2.
SIS said in its statement that comments on the court’s decisions show “inaccuracy”, given that the judge has not issued a verdict in either of the cases.
It said that in case death sentences are issued, the defendants have the right to appeal before the Court of Cassation, adding that the prosecution will appeal the decision, even if the defendants do not.
Mursi, who climbed to power becoming Egypt’s president in June 2012, was eventually ousted after a year at the hands of the military, following mass protests against his rule.
He has since been accused of several charges and stood as defendant in various trials.
He still faces trial for insulting the judiciary, as well as a separate espionage case.
A Cairo court sentenced Mursi last month to 20 years of maximum security prison for charges of show of force and detention associated with physical torture during deadly protests in 2012. He was nevertheless acquitted of murder charges.
Since Mursi’s ouster, Muslim Brotherhood leaders and prominent figures have often found themselves behind bars and facing courts. He and his support base consider the power change which saw his removal a coup.
Comments (30)
These cronies of the military dictatorship have no clue about the processes of justice. Most of them were appointed by another military tyrant by the name of Mubarak who ruled Egypt for about 30 years. The current military tyrant has hinted that he wants to be there for 25 years. (Essentially what he said was that it will take 25 years for Egypt to get democracy).
The little dictator of the Nile thinks that by licking Israel’s hand
he can do whatever he wants and still be safe from enlightened Western
media.
Yet, history teaches us what will happen. The bloodthristy coupsters
and their enablers will answer to justice delivered by the oppressed.
Even on its own terms, a death sentence for escaping from prison is outrageous.
Not to mention that Morsi was a political prisoner, not a murderer, rapist or robber.
It’s not about just his escaping. It is the violence and burning buildings, murdering prison guards, and bringing in foreign elements into the country.
You’re an idiot…
Your words say more about you than me. How intelligent conversation.
If that was the case, where is the due process and rules of evidence that should establish these crimes.
If that was the case, then why are you not saying anything about violence committed by the other side, the military coup supporters who had killed so many more? Arguably then, there is a much stronger case against Sissy on the same ground because that had been witnessed by people on their screens throughout the world, whereas what you are alleging against the President of Egypt is just stories in the absence of evidence.
If that was the case, why did Sissy take up the job in the civilian government?
Lot of questions to answer. I don’t think the corrupt Judiciary can answer or has the will to answer any of these.
What people are you talking about were killed, what violence by the other side? You must be talking about Rabba Addawayya? You did not see the live videos residents took from their balconies?
About 650 people were killed, of which 65% were “armed” MB who had machine guns shooting at police, 15% were unidentified bodies which were old (dead for a few days or more), but not unidentifiable because they were so badly tortured, and 20% were police.
Lots of questions you have without specifics. From where do you get this information? BBC / CNN / Al Jazeera? Do you have access to Egyptian or Middle East news sources? Speak Arabic?
Where was the due process? I think there has been a trial, ongoing for a couple of years, which is how the verdict was delivered and the sentence determined.
What you are saying deserves to be in a comedy show except that Bassam Youssef had to leave the country because the tyrant would not accept even one little bit of criticism even from a person who did his utmost to help Sissy with his coup through his constant abuse of the elected President and his exhortations to ask the military to take back the reign of power again.
The most comical thing is when you talk about due process and the Egyptian judiciary in the same breath. The judiciary which has shown a perverse alacrity to pass death sentence on hundreds of people in summary trials lasting not even an hour, something that would put a kangaroo court to shame. Some of these convicted people were dead for many years, some were not even in the country. And people like you call it due process!
Where did we get this information? Well you know Mubarak, Sadat and Nasser were able to hide a lot of their misdeeds, even then the world found out in the end. Today, it is much more difficult to hide these crimes. See how the inner circle of the regime itself leaks the information. Possibly someone is disgruntled with the share of the loot. We will be seeing more and more of such revelations. Other than that, the world has progressed a lot in technology in case you did not notice. Thanks also to a lot of brave, conscientious journalists and people on the ground who take great risks to seek news and information.
But to answer your question, we saw what the military putschists were doing right from our bedrooms, while it was unfolding and read about it from many sources in the aftermath. In case you did not notice, there are many media outlets in the world other than those the regime banned because they did not act as the regime’s mouthpiece after the coup. The regime is fearful of a freedom of speech and independent media.
That is why the regime is so desperate to get the media under their control, if need be by terrorizing them, as yet another one of the leaks revealed. They are trying to get rid of all foreign journalists and making sure that the local journalists do not say anything against the military regime.
My knowing Arabic does not matter at all. This is the age of information and internet. The public will suss you out in no time, what narrative is true and what is canon fodder meant for public consumption. There is no place to hide. But to answer your question, yes I do speak Arabic fluently along with four other languages but that is not relevant here. What is relevant here is that by all accounts except for the Egyptian regime controlled media and their international bankrollers such as the Saud family, this is a murderous regime bent on establishing the eternal rule of the military where all institutions of the country, particularly the Judiciary will always do their bidding.
It’s senseless to discuss anything with a brainwashed person, anyone who keeps using certain buzzwords repeatedly is brainwashed. We saw from our bedrooms? Then show your videos. Many other Egyptians who live in Rabba posted videos they took from their mobile phones, and it doesn’t describe the same thing as you.
I don;t like to talk too much, make long posts, or read long posts. I look at facts, not theory. So if you have any of these videos of what you saw from your bedroom, then post it. Long posts with lectures full of buzzwords, mean nothing.
facts and military cronies don’t go together
Who is brainwashed here? Let people make their judgement.
Just as I thought, no videos from your bedroom. Case closed.
Do a Google and find for yourself! It is all there in the public domain and you know it. You are hanging your hat on one line – bedroom videos. I have said a lot of other things about the coup military regime and responded to one of your silly outburst as well.
Who is brainwashed here? How about saying something that shows YOU are not brainwashed? You said you don’t like to talk too much. Well that is not required. The regime just wants you to regurgitate a few lines. You don’t, you CAN’T say much, can you?
LOL, who is regurgitating all of the buzz words. I believe it was you who started this whole thing saying you had videos you took from your bedroom window? I asked you yo show those videos. Which you obviously do not have, or else you would not say to look them up on google. You would be happy to expose the truth and happy to post them, rather than to be on the internet being an antagonist to others and not able to have a respectful conversation. You have proved yourself to be a liar. That one line bedroom videos is now a minor point? It is a more major than anything you have had to say, so if you have some videos that you took from your bedroom that expose the truth, then lets see them. All of this blah blah blah, is useless and stupid. You claim to have videos you took from your bedroom window that show the truth. So let’s see it! Liar! You are not even in Egypt! I will not answer or respond any more to this post.