The Egyptian court convicted former president Mohammed Morsi on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for torturing and kidnapping protesters at a demonstration almost three years ago. The verdict comes after Morsi was ousted from office in 2013.
Judge Ahmed Sabry Youssef handed the sentence, which was aired live on national television. Marsi was standing inside a cage in the court along with 12 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including former top officials Mohamed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian. The men, however, were saved from a death sentence, as they have been acquitted on the murder charges.
The verdict is being challenged by Morsi's camp, whose lawyers said they would file an appeal in court, and his supporters are calling the trial a "travesty of justice." This is the first verdict to be handed down to the former president, as Morsi and the Brotherhood are still facing other charges.
The government of Egypt has branded the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, which has been in operation for decades. A crackdown into their activities has become a priority for Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the current president of Egypt. It was Sisi who led the military takeover that toppled Morsi's rule.
In 2011, the Brotherhood won the parliament elections with Morsi becoming Egypt's first freely elected president. One year to his term, however, Morsi's rule was met with protests, which resulted in a military takeover.
Morsi was removed from office in July 2013. His son, Osama Musi, says that his father is bent on returning to power in spite of the verdict, as reported by the Daily Times. The former president insists that Sisi's government is illegitimate, and therefore, the court's ruling should not be recognized.
