His death is a footnote in a country that has slid back into dictatorship
THE cases against Muhammad Morsi, now in their sixth year, long ago took on the air of a Kafka novel. Every few weeks Egypt’s sole democratically-elected president, deposed in a coup in 2013, would appear in court to answer one charge or another. He was accused of espionage and torture, and of stealing livestock. Most Egyptians lost interest, but the wheels of Egyptian justice, a deeply flawed variety, ground on. And then, abruptly, they stopped.
Egyptian liberals, who split their vote during the election’s first round, did not share Mr Morsi’s Islamist politics, but he seemed the democratic choice, a break from the old regime. Many held their noses and voted for him in the run-off in June 2012 against Ahmed Shafiq, Mr Mubarak’s last prime minister. After his victory was confirmed, Mr Morsi’s first act was to address a crowd in Tahrir Square, the heart of the revolution.
His edict, and the violence that followed, caused a lasting rupture with the revolutionaries who helped put Mr Morsi in office. When the army removed him in July 2013—led by his hand-picked defence minister, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi—many were happy to see him go. Even the killing of hundreds of pro-Morsi protesters the following month, a massacre unprecedented in Egypt’s modern history, drew only muted public criticism.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi collapses and dies in court: Egypt’s state TVEgypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi collapsed and died in court, according to Egypt’s state TV:
Read more »
Egypt TV says ousted president Morsi dies in courtEgypt's former president, Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who rose to office in the country's first free elections in 2012 and was ousted a year later by the military, collapsed in court during a trial and died Monday, state TV and his family said. The 67-year-old Morsi had just
Read more »
Egypt's former President Morsi died defending himself in court, reports sayMohammed Morsi was toppled by a military-backed coup amid more mass protests in 2013 and arrested on various charges.
Read more »
Egypt’s ousted president Mohammed Morsi collapses in courtroom, diesEgypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi has collapsed during a court session and died, the country’s state television is reporting.
Read more »
When Morsi died, Egypt’s hopes for democracy died with himEgypt's first democratically elected president has died in the custody of a government that repeatedly ignored his deteriorating health and kept him in constant solitary confinement.
Read more »