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Egypt's ex-leader Mohammed Morsi gets life for spying Mohammed Morsi death sentence upheld by Egypt court
(about 1 hour later)
Egypt's ex-President Mohammed Morsi has been sentenced to life in prison for espionage by an Egyptian court. An Egyptian court has upheld the death sentence imposed on ousted ex-President Mohammed Morsi over a mass jailbreak in 2011.
He was accused of spying on behalf of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Lebanese militants Hezbollah and Iran. The sentence was initially passed in May, but has been confirmed after Egypt's highest religious figure, the Grand Mufti gave his opinion.
The court is yet to decide on whether to uphold death sentences given to the former leader and 100 others over a mass prison break in 2011. Morsi was also sentenced to life on Tuesday for spying on behalf of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Morsi's supporters have described the charges against him as "farcical". His supporters have described the charges against him as "farcical".
He was deposed in July 2013 following mass street protests against his rule and is already serving a 20-year jail term for ordering the arrest and torture of demonstrators. The verdict is subject to appeal.
The judge said on Tuesday that the Muslim Brotherhood "collaborated with Palestinian Hamas to infiltrate Egypt's eastern borders and attack prisons", state TV reported. Morsi escaped from Wadi Natroun prison in January 2011 and was accused of colluding with foreign militants in a plot to free Islamists during the mass prison breaks.
Morsi was given life, while 16 other Muslim Brotherhood members - including leader Khairat al-Shater - were sentenced to death on charges of delivering secret documents abroad between 2005 and 2013. The 2011 uprising brought an end to Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule and Morsi was elected president a year later.
In Egypt, a life sentence is 25 years in jail. Final ruling
A final ruling on his death sentence for the 2011 prison break is expected after a court recess. It has been awaiting the opinion of Egypt's highest religious figure, the Grand Mufti. He was deposed by the army in July 2013 following mass street protests against his rule and is already serving a 20-year jail term for ordering the arrest and torture of demonstrators.
Speaking about the espionage charges on Tuesday the judge said that the Muslim Brotherhood "collaborated with Palestinian Hamas to infiltrate Egypt's eastern borders and attack prisons", state TV reported.
Sixteen other Muslim Brotherhood members were sentenced to death on charges of delivering secret documents abroad between 2005 and 2013.
Only three of the other defendants are in custody, including Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater.
Morsi was overthrown by military chief - and now president - Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and was subsequently imprisoned facing various charges.
At the start of his first trial in 2013, he shouted from the dock that he was the victim of a "military coup".
Since then, Morsi has been forced to sit in soundproof glass cages in courtrooms, which officials say are designed to prevent him disrupting proceedings.