Egypt extends Morsi’s detention

By on August 13, 2013

morsiEgypt’s ousted President Mohamed Morsi is due to spend 15 more days in custody over charges of conspiring with Hamas, state-run Al-Ahram Online reported Monday.

According to the report, the investigating judge, assigned by the Justice Ministry, ordered Monday to extend Morsi’s detention for another 15 days pending investigations on spying for Hamas, the Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails.

However, Judge Hassan Samir, who has previously imposed a gag order on the case, has not announced the decision in an official statement, Al-Ahram quoted a judicial source as saying, noting that Samir may issue a detailed statement in the coming few days.

Morsi is accused of communicating with Hamas during the January 2011 upheaval in Egypt that toppled ex-President Hosni Mubarak, exploiting the turmoil to assault police premises and officers, breaking into prisons as well as setting fire to Wadi al-Natron prison, where he was jailed back then.

The Islamist-oriented leader was overthrown by popular-backed military procedures in early July after massive protests against his alleged “maladministration.” He has been kept by the army in an unidentified place ever since.

On July 26, Samir ordered detention of Morsi for 15 days amid open-ended sit-ins staged by Morsi’s supporters at Rabaa Al Adawiya and Al Nahda squares in Cairo and Giza, who referred to his removal as a “military coup” and demanded his reinstatement.

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