Final ruling on Morsi’s death sentence postponed

An Egyptian court on Tuesday adjourned to June 16 its final verdict on ex-president Mohamed Morsi, who along with top Muslim Brotherhood leaders, was earlier handed down a death sentence in connection with espionage and a mass jail break during the 2011 uprising.

Last month, the court sentenced the deposed president Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohamed Badie and over 100 Islamists to death in two separate cases - espionage and escaping from prison. However, all the sentences in the two cases were referred to the Grand Mufti, who - according to Egyptian law - must review all the death sentences though his decision is not binding. Judge Shaaban el-Shami said the court needs more time to study the Mufti’s opinion as it had only received it early on Tuesday. It adjourned the final verdict for June 16.

Morsi, 63, and Badie, 71, were among 106 Muslim Brotherhood leaders sentenced to death on charges of escaping from prison in 2011 and among 130 co-defendants, including Brotherhood leaders Mohamed Saad El-Katatni, Essam El-Erian, Mohamed El-<g data-gr-id="14">Beltagy</g>, and Safwat Hegazy.