U.S. ‘deeply concerned’ over Morsi death sentence bid by Egyptian court

The United States is “deeply concerned” about an Egyptian court decision to seek the death penalty for former President Mohammed Morsi, a State Department official said on Sunday. The U.S. criticism follows condemnations from Amnesty International and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan after the court ruling on Saturday against the deposed president and 106 supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood in connection with a mass jail break in 2011. The ruling against Morsi is not final until June 2.

We have consistently spoken out against the practice of mass trials and sentences, which are conducted in a manner that is inconsistent with Egypt’s international obligations and the rule of law.

State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity

Morsi and his fellow defendants were convicted on charges of killing and kidnapping policemen, attacking police facilities and breaking out of jail during the uprising. Morsi has said the court is not legitimate, describing proceedings against him as part of a coup by former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013. Despite U.S. lawmakers’ concerns, Egypt remains one of Washington’s closest security allies in the region. Relations cooled after Morsi was overthrown by the military nearly two years ago, but ties with Sisi, his successor, have steadily improved.

Politics