An Egyptian court on May 16 sentenced ex-president Mohammed Morsi [3] and more than 100 others to death for their involvement in a mass prison break in 2011. The prison break occurred during the country's 2011 uprising that ousted then-president Hosni Mubarak [4]. Morsi was accused of conspiring with foreign militants to free Islamists during the mass prison breaks. The case was referred [5] by Judge Shaaban el-Shami to the nation's top Muslim theologian for his non-binding opinion on whether the sentences should stand, as is customary for all death sentences in Egypt. Amr Darrag [6], co-founder of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party [7] and cabinet minister under Morsi, denounced [8] the verdict, saying that day would be "remembered as one of the darkest days in Egypt history." Amnesty International [9] also spoke against the verdict [10], calling for a retrial and stating that all evidence gathered against the former president and his co-defendants was inadmissible as a result of their illegal detention before trial.
From Jurist [11], May 16. Used with permisison.
