Egypt
Morsi hearing set for November 4
A Egyptian court on Wednesday set the trial date for the ousted president Mohamed Morsi for November 4. Along with Morsi, 14 other leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, including Essam el-Erian and Mohammed el-Beltagy, will be tried on the same day. The defendants were charged in September with "incitement to murder" stemming from violent protests that took place last year. Morsi and other high-level Brotherhood members allegedly incited their supporters to murder at least 10 protesters during a violent demonstration outside the presidential palace in December. The Muslim Brotherhood has denied of having used violence.
Although Egypt has faced political unrest since the Egyptian Revolution began over two years ago, the conflict peaked in July after the military deposed Morsi, suspended the nation's constitution and installed an interim government. Last week an Egyptian court upheld a one-year prison sentence against Hisham Kandil, the former prime minister under Morsi. Kandil was imprisoned in April for failing to follow a court order to re-nationalize a textile company sold by former president Hosni Mubarak. In September an Egyptian courtbanned the Muslim Brotherhood and ordered its assets confiscated as part of the military government's crackdown on the group. Also in September JURIST guest columnist Liesel LeCates discussed whether recent sentences by an Egyptian military tribunal against supporters of Morsi were fair. In the same month Egyptian police arrested a spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood. Earlier that month, the government extended emergency laws put in place in mid-August. An Egyptian court ordered the closure of four media outlets, including an affiliate of Al Jazeera, for their alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood.
(Published by Jurist – October 9, 2013)