Update: Army denies Morsi is jailed, Al-Ahram editor interrogated

Military spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali has denied reports that deposed President Mohamed Morsi is currently in prison.

In its Monday paper edition, the state-run Al-Ahram Daily reported that the public prosecutor ordered Morsi be remanded into custody for 15 days pending investigations into charges of espionage in collaboration with foreign countries. The charges were based on telephone conversations between the former president and foreigners that had been intercepted by the Armed Forces, the paper alleged.

“The Armed Forces confirms this information is false, and not based on any confirmed facts. Publishing this information in this way at this time is intended to destabilize the country and agitate public opinion to fulfill the questionable objectives of certain political forces,” Ali wrote on his official Facebook page.

The military is neutral and credible in its relationship to the public, and would not refrain from communicating this kind of information if it was true, Ali said.

He cautioned the media to fact check before publishing articles, and to liaise with the military spokesperson to verify information.

Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat summoned Nasser Salama, the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram, for interrogation regarding the report, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported on Monday. The prosecution also denied the news of Morsi’s arrest.

Salama was appointed to his position in August 2012 during a series of state media appointments that provoked controversy over fears that the posts were dominated by Brotherhood figures.

Morsi has been detained in an unknown Armed Forces facility since his ouster on July 3, despite calls by various international players to disclose his whereabouts. Since his removal from office, several senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested and detained on charges of inciting violence.

The Brotherhood has staged daily protests to demand Morsi’s release and reinstatement, many of which have ended in violence.  

This is Ali’s second statement criticizing the media in less than three days. On Friday he spoke out against an interview he had given to the independent Daily News Egypt, which suggested that Defense Minister and commander of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was considering a bid for the presidency.

In his statement, Ali wrote that Sisi was proud of his position at the helm of the Armed Forces at a time when the military is enjoying a wide popularity among the Egyptian people, and didn’t aspire to any other role.