Egyptian court seeks death penalty for ex-president Mursi

CAIRO – An Egyptian court on Saturday sought the death penalty for former president Mohamed Mursi and 106 supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood in connection with a mass jail break in 2011.

Mursi and his fellow defendants, including top Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, were convicted for killing and kidnapping policemen, attacking police facilities and breaking out of jail during the uprising, against then-president Hosni Mubarak.

The court’s request drew condemnations from Amnesty International and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

A final ruling is expected on June 2. The court sought capital punishment in a separate case for Brotherhood leader Khairat el-Shater and 15 others for conspiring with foreign militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah against Egypt.

The rulings, like all capital sentences, will be referred to Egypt’s top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for a non-binding opinion.

Egypt’s state information service said criticism of the ruling “reflects ignorance and lack of accuracy” and is an infringement on judicial independence.

Mursi can appeal the verdict. He has said the court is not legitimate, describing legal proceedings against him as part of a coup by former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013.

Many other defendants are on the run.