Egypt court confirms ousted President Morsi’s death sentence

An Egyptian court on Tuesday confirmed the death sentence of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi over a mass prison break during the country’s 2011 uprising, making him the first leader in Egypt’s modern history to potentially face execution. While this is the first death sentence for Morsi, courts have handed out hundreds of similar sentences against Islamists in mass trials since his 2013 overthrow and a mass crackdown on dissent. The ruling, which will be automatically reviewed by Egypt’s highest appeals court, brought no immediate outcry on the streets as thousands remain imprisoned, though the country faces threats from Islamic extremists, including an affiliate of the Islamic State group.

The court panel has unanimously agreed that there is no room for leniency or mercy for the defendants.

Judge Shaaban al-Shami, who led a panel of three judges and issued the ruling

It is not clear if Morsi will be executed. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military’s ouster of Morsi, repeatedly has defended the independence of the judiciary, though their mass rulings have faced international criticism. Meanwhile, former autocrat Hosni Mubarak, overthrown in Egypt’s 2011 revolt and detained since, has eventually been cleared of corruption charges. He now only faces a November retrial on charges over the killings of protesters after initially receiving a life sentence.

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