Update: Amnesty International, Brotherhood both condemn Morsi verdict

Ousted President Mohamed Morsi, prominent Muslim Brotherhood figures Essam al-Erian and Mohamed al-Beltagy, and 12 others were sentenced to 20 years in maximum security prison and five years parole on Tuesday on charges stemming from the 2012 Ettehadiya Presidential Palace clashes. 

The Cairo Criminal Court convicted the 15 defendants of inciting violence against protesters. They were found innocent of premeditated murder and the possession of unlicensed weapons.

Two other defendants in the case, Gamal Saber and Abdel Hakeem Ismail, were sentenced to 10 years in maximum security prison.

This is the first verdict issued against Morsi, who is standing trial in four other cases.

The court concluded its session by refusing to allow Morsi to address the judges and the public on the basis that “he had rejected the court, and questioned its legitimacy.” Morsi was assigned a court-appointed lawyer after he refused to hire his own defense attorney.

In December 2012, clashes erupted between protesters opposing Morsi's constitutional declaration in which he amassed exclusive powers, effectively making his decisions immune from judicial oversight. 10 people were killed and many others injured in the violence, including supporters and opponents of the Islamist president.

Investigations reportedly proved that Essam al-Erian, Mohamed al-Beltagy and Wagdy Ghoneim publicly incited the forced dispersal of a sit-in that took place in front of the presidential palace. The defendants and their allies were accused of attacking peaceful protesters — including journalist Al-Husseini Abu Deif, who was shot in the head — and holding hostages inside the palace.

Claims of torture and assault at the hands of alleged Morsi supporters were evidenced by photos and videos captured outside the palace. They were repeatedly witnessed using firearms as they took shelter behind rows of riot police.

Hoda Nasrallah, a lawyer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights whose client, political activist Ola Shahba, was physically and sexually assaulted near the presidential palace, told Mada Masr, "We called for the maximum penalty, while clarifying that we oppose the death sentence in principle.”

“It is clear that there is a deluge of death sentences, along with the imposition of exaggerated penalties upon defendants affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood," Nasrallah clarified. "However, the fact remains that the Muslim Brotherhood — during the course of the year in which they assumed power — committed crimes which necessitate legal prosecution.” 

Meanwhile, the Journalists Syndicate filed an appeal against Tuesday's verdict with General Prosecutor Hesham Barakat, the state-owned Middle East News Agency reported.

The syndicate had previously assigned a legal advisor to join rights lawyers representing deceased journalist Abu Deif in the case. They filed a request with the court calling for the death penalty for Morsi and his co-defendants.

The "Ettehadiya clashes" case is one of several in which Morsi and other senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood are implicated. Two other significant cases include the prison escapes during the January 25 revolution, as well as an espionage case in which Morsi and others are accused of aiding foreign groups, including the Palestinian Hamas, and endangering national security.

Amnesty International released a statement on Tuesday afternoon condemning the trial as a “sham” and “travesty of justice.” The human rights organization called for the former president to be retried in a civilian court "in line with international standards," or released. 

“This verdict shatters any remaining illusion of independence and impartiality in Egypt’s criminal justice system,” wrote Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. She cited irregularities in the trial and Morsi's arbitrary detention after his ouster as grounds for his release.

Ikhwan Web, the official website for the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, also released a statement condemning the verdict, which they say was "forced through by Egypt's illegitimate authorities and will not be overlooked by revolutionaries." They maintained they would continue resistance against the current administration "until the coup ends and the counter revolution is defeated."

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This article has been subject to minor amendments since it was first published.