World turns its back on INJUSTICE in Egypt

The ruling in May also condemned more than 100 others to death for their roles in the uprising. In line with Egyptian law, the death sentences had to be ratified by the Grand Mufti, the country’s top religious authority. His decision was non-binding, but nevertheless an important one.

However, the legal process continues and the next stop is the highest appeals court.

Morsi was detained without charge along with other members of the Muslim Brotherhood during the early phase of the uprising. His supporters argue that he fled prison after demonstrators stormed in and overpowered the guards.

After leaving prison, Morsi remained defiant, appearing on Al-Jazeera television news to declare that he wasn’t running away and that the authorities could detain him if they so chose.

The military-backed government’s story was that Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood had destabilised Egypt with the help of foreign Hamas and Hezbollah fighters.

In line with the wishes of the government and its sham court, the allegation that Morsi was behind the prison break resurfaced. This allegation had never been an issue either before or during Morsi’s year-long tenure as the country’s democratically elected president from 2012 to 2013.

It is thus no surprise that Morsi supporters are joined by most foreign observers in regarding the current legal proceedings as a farce. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood has called the sentence “null and void” and called for another popular uprising.

After sweeping to power on the back of a rousing election campaign in 2012, the Brotherhood failed |miserably in governing a country that 

 had long been ruled by a strongman.

After weeks of mass protests by citizens frustrated with the state of the economy, Morsi was ousted from power by a military coup in July 2013.

But, instead of returning the mandate to the people, the military launched a massive crackdown on his supporters and its other opponents. When the dust settled, more than 1,000 were dead and 10,000 in prison.

The Muslim Brotherhood was declared a terrorist organisation and barred from contesting in the general election.

Egypt’s military rulers claim the Brotherhood poses a danger to the country’s internal security. In reality, it represents a political obstacle to their consolidation of power.

They can hang Morsi, but that would just make him a martyr. And a martyr provides more inspiration to fight.

The execution of Morsi would be a signal to government opponents who have so far rejected militancy that they now have little choice but to take up arms against their oppressive rulers. They could swell the ranks of armed dissidents who have attacked government targets over the past two years.

The Brotherhood has called on its followers to “escalate revolutionary defiance activities every day until together we defeat the junta and topple the illegitimate military coup regime”.

Some will see this as an invitation to continue protesting peacefully. But, for others, it likely translates as a call to arms.

There is much talk among global powers of crushing militant Islamist groups like Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Unfortunately, for reasons of expediency, the international community has tarred Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood with the same brush of extremist brutality. It could and should be working to support the cause of justice in Egypt, but instead has refused to do so for reasons that can only be considered self-serving.