Morsi sentenced

The gains of the Arab spring of 2011 have slowly withered away, with traditional powers having reasserted themselves. The first freely elected leader of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday over the killing of hundreds of protesters in 2012. The ousted leader faces two other trials. The verdict has drawn widespread condemnation from around the world alongwith fears over the future of the democratic process in Egypt. The controversial verdict was over deaths from violent clashes between Muslim Brotherhood supporters and protesters who opposed Morsi in December 2012. The court held Morsi and 14 co-defendants responsible for inciting supporters into using violence and torture against opposition demonstrators, but acquitted them of a murder charge which could have led to them facing the death penalty. Senior Muslim Brotherhood figures have been spearheading a campaign against the military coup and Morsi’s arrest. Many have called the trial a travesty of justice, scripted by the government.
The view was shared by Amnesty International which has said that the verdict shows how little independence and impartiality remains in Egypt’s criminal justice system. The trial took place inside a metal and glass cage in the courtroom, and has been described as having relied on ‘fundamental flaws’ and ‘flimsy evidence’. During the proceedings, the Muslim Brotherhood prisoners continued to make a four-finger salute to commemorate the 2013 killings of hundreds of Morsi supporters at a major square in Cairo. Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members and other opponents of the new government have been jailed during the two years following the coup against Morsi. General Sisi’s regime in Egypt, despite its apparent popularity, has been accused of gross human rights violations. While an argument could be made to hold Morsi responsible for the killings of December 2012, who is to be held responsible for the blatant firing at Muslim Brotherhood supporters in 2013? Morsi was at fault for expanding the powers of his government and attempting to change the Egyptian constitution. However, as the first democratically elected leader of Egypt he deserves a bare minimum of respect – and due process. Turkey has also issued a statement saying the sentencing raises fears about the future of democracy in Egypt. The US State Department has also claimed it was ‘concerned by the sentences’. Despite these condemnations, the future of democracy in Egypt looks bleak. The Morsi verdict confirms everyone’s fears.