*ISLAMABAD – Former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi died on Monday in aCairo hospital after fainting during a session in court, judicial andsecurity sources said.*
“He was speaking before the judge for 20 minutes then became very animatedand fainted. He was quickly rushed to the hospital where he later died,” ajudicial source said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a strong ally of the formerpresident during his brief tenure as Egypt’s leader, paid tribute to Morsiand called him a “martyr”.
The official Al-Ahram news website also reported the death of Morsi, 67,who was Egypt’s first democratically elected president but spent just oneturbulent year in office after the 2011 uprising before the army toppledhim in 2013.
Morsi has been in prison since his ouster on trial for several casesincluding for spying for Iran, Qatar and militant groups such as Hamas inthe Gaza Strip. He was also accused of plotting terror acts.
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Since his overthrow on July 3, 2013, his former defence minister nowPresident Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has waged an ongoing crackdown targeting hissupporters from the Muslim Brotherhood with thousands jailed and hundredsfacing death sentences.
The years following Morsi’s overthrow have seen a surge in bombings andshootings targeting security forces, particularly in the restive northernSinai Peninsula, a stronghold of the Islamic State group.
Morsi’s turbulent rule was marked by deep divisions in Egyptian society, acrippling economic crisis and often-deadly opposition protests. -APP/AFP
