EGYPT’S MORSI FACES FRESH ACCUSATION
Cairo, 2 Zulqa’idah 1434/7 September 2013 (MINA) – Egyptian prosecutors issued Saturday (7/9) ousted president Mohamed Morsi with a fresh charge of “insulting the judicial authority.”
“The investigative prosecutors accused Mohamed Morsi of insulting the judiciary by accusing 22 judges of forging parliamentary elections in 2005,” official media reported.
Morsi’s detention was extended by four more days pending investigations into the new charge, Egypt’s Ahram reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
Morsi is still held incommunicado since his ouster by its military on 3 July.
On 26 July, Morsi received his first 15-day detention order pending investigaions into espionage and jailbreak accusations.
Court accused Morsi of collaborating with Hamas to orchestrate his escape from Wadi El-Natroun Prison in early 2011, as well as destroying police records during the 2011 uprising. In addition, Court also accused him of espionage, and of attacking police stations with the intent to kill and abduct police officers and prisoners during the 2011 uprising.
Regardless of Mubarak trial to be held in mid-September, most of the Brotherhood’s top leaders are currently detained on charges of inciting violence during recent or past clashes which still under investigation.
The prosecutor, Hesham Barakat, referred Morsi and 14 other Brotherhood members to a Cairo criminal court on charges of “committing acts of violence, and inciting killing and thuggery”, the state news agency reported on Sunday.
The charges relate to violence outside the presidential palace last December, after Morsi had ignited protesters’ rage by expanding his powers.
At least seven people were killed in the ensuing clashes.
Morsi is also being investigated over his escape from jail during the 2011 uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak.
Since then, the authorities have mounted a fierce crackdown against his Muslim Brotherhood, rounding up most of its top leaders.
The security forces have also killed hundreds of Morsi supporters during protests since his downfall.
In turn, the government accuses the Brotherhood of committing acts of violence. Around 100 members of the security forces have also been killed since August 14, when the police used force to break up pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo. (T/P03/P04)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
