The former president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, a prisoner since he was ousted from office in 2013, recently told the court that he will continue to refrain from eating food in jail due to fears he might be killed via poison.
As reported by the Anadolu Agency , Mohammed Morsi was recently sentenced to death for “espionage” and escaping from prison during the 2011 popular uprising that led to former President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year stint in power.
Morsi, along with 10 others, attended a hearing on Saturday for his espionage trial in which he is accused of leaking classified information concerning the intelligence services of Egypt during the year of his administration. Before the judge, Morsi said his life was in danger in prison, and he claimed the food that was offered to him on July 21 and 22 would have resulted in a “major crime.”
The ousted president also said he wanted to meet with his legal defense team to discuss five incidents in prison that he considered “a potential threat to his life,” and the judge agreed. He also asked to see a doctor because he was reportedly suffering from low blood pressure and his blood sugar level was also too low.
According to a report from Al-Jazeera , following Morsi’s statements, the court ordered that a medical examination be performed on him.
It was also reported that Morsi requested a hearing that would grant him permission to receive food from the outside, as he described the prison food as “a crime committed against his rights.” The court adjourned the case until Sunday morning.
Morsi became Egypt’s president in June, 2012, after the first democratic elections in the history of country, but he was ousted by the military in July, 2013, amid mass protests against his government. He was sentenced to death in June in a prison escape trial and was sentenced to life in prison for an espionage case in June, an Egyptian Streets report states . He also received an additional sentence of twenty years in prison for inciting violence and torture in several incidents. The three sentences are not final so they are subject to appeal, although Morsi must also face another trial for insulting the Judicial system.
[Image via Sean Gallup/Getty Images News]
