A court sentenced him for his involvement in the mass evasions during the riots that occurred in 2011. More than 100 members of the Muslim Brotherhood convicted.

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - An Egyptian court this morning sentenced to death former President Mohamed Morsi for his involvement in a mass escape that took place in 2011. Together with him were convicted more than 100 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. The court will now pass the verdict to the Grand Mufti, the highest Islamic religious authority in the country, to give his opinion before the execution.

The court also sentenced Khairat el-Shater, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, and 15 others for conspiring with foreign militant groups.

The mass evasion occurred during the riots of 2011 against then-President Hosni Mubarak. The riots led to the overthrow of the government and, in the following months, the victory (hotly contested) in the election of Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In 2013, Morsi was deposed by the army: an act that eventually led to new poll and election of the former General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as president.

Morsi was present in court at the verdict. Last month another court sentenced him to 20 years in prison for incitement to violence, arrest and torture during the riots of 2012. On that occasion, Fr. Rafic Greiche, spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church, described the sentence to AsiaNews  as "too light."

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