| Bloomberg | - |
Egypt's
former President Mohamed Mursi was jailed for life, while six people,
including two Al-Jazeera staff members, had death sentences affirmed by a
Cairo criminal court in a case linked to passing state secrets to
Qatar.
Egypt’s Ex-President Mursi Gets Life Sentence in Qatar Spy Case
- Mursi has already been sentenced to death in prison-break case
- Two Al-Jazeera staffers also have death sentences affirmed
The death sentences had been referred to the Grand Mufti, the government’s top religious official, for ratification. Mursi and two others who served in the government during his one-year presidency were given the standard life sentence. The verdicts can be appealed.
Mohamed Mursi
Source: STR/AFP/Getty Images
The two Jazeera journalists were identified as Alaa Omar Mohamed and Ibrahim Mohamed Helal. They were tried in absentia.
Egyptian officials have claimed the Qatar-based satellite channel is sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that fielded Mursi for office and was branded a terrorist organization after his July 2013 ouster.
Mursi, who was pushed from power in a military-backed popular uprising, has already been sentenced to death in connection with a prison breakout at the time of the 2011 uprising against his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak. He has also been sentenced to life in prison in connection with another espionage case tied to the Palestinian Hamas movement.
The Islamist ex-president was accused of passing on state secrets to Qatar, and the judge said the six sentenced to death had relayed classified documents about the Egyptian military to a foreign nation.
— With assistance by Peter Chapman
No comments:
Post a Comment