Final verdict in Morsi’s ‘espionage’ trial postponed

By Sayed Fathi

CAIRO

An Egyptian court on Saturday postponed the final verdict in former President Mohamed Morsi’s “Qatar espionage” trial to May 7.

Egypt’s army-backed authorities have accused Morsi and 10 co-defendants of spying for Qatar and leaking classified documents to the small Gulf state during his single year as president.

Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected leader, was ousted in a 2013 military coup, following protests against his presidency.

He has since been slapped with life-in-prison and death sentences for "conspiring against Egypt" with Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and for breaking out of jail in 2011.

Morsi and his co-defendants, along with many independent observers, say the charges are politically driven.

Since Morsi's ouster and imprisonment, Egyptian authorities have cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood group, killing hundreds and jailing tens of thousands.

By Sayed Fathi

CAIRO

An Egyptian court on Saturday postponed the final verdict in former President Mohamed Morsi’s “Qatar espionage” trial to May 7.

Egypt’s army-backed authorities have accused Morsi and 10 co-defendants of spying for Qatar and leaking classified documents to the small Gulf state during his single year as president.

Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected leader, was ousted in a 2013 military coup, following protests against his presidency.

He has since been slapped with life-in-prison and death sentences for "conspiring against Egypt" with Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and for breaking out of jail in 2011.

Morsi and his co-defendants, along with many independent observers, say the charges are politically driven.

Since Morsi's ouster and imprisonment, Egyptian authorities have cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood group, killing hundreds and jailing tens of thousands.