Moroccans protest treatment of Egypt's Morsi

FEZ, Morocco

Dozens of people in Morocco’s Fez province protested Wednesday against the Egyptian government’s treatment of former President Mohamed Morsi, who died this week during a court appearance to face espionage charges.

The protestors chanted in favor of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 which ended the 30-year reign of former President Hosni Mubarak and paved the way for Morsi’s presidency.

One of the protesters, Yousef al-Aruzi, told Anadolu Agency that Morsi died due to a lack of medical care over the past six years and noted the attitude towards him in court prevented a fair trial.

He said the demonstration was held to condemn the cruel practice of military coups and to help maintain the culture of democracy and human rights in Morocco.

Some demonstrators carried placards which said “End the military administration”, “Morsi is dead, Sisi to answer” and “Lived as mujahedeen, died as martyr”.

Morsi, a leading member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, won Egypt's first free presidential election in 2012.

After only a year in office, however, he was ousted and imprisoned in a military coup led by then-defense minister and current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

At the time of his death, Morsi faced a host of legal charges, which he, along with numerous human rights groups and independent observers, said were politically motivated.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas