Trial against former President Mohamed Morsi begins
Cairo ( AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - The trial of former President Mohamed Morsi and 14 other leaders
of the Muslim Brotherhood opened this morning. All
are accused of instigating the killing of protesters during anti - Morsi protests
last December.
The
former president has already arrived at the court transported from a secret
location by helicopter. The
security forces - with at least 20 thousand policemen - are on maximum alert
against possible demonstrations and clashes with Morsi supporters.
The
trial is taking place in the same building as the police academy in Cairo,
where the trial of Morsi's predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, is also being held.
A
popular uprising toppled Mubarak in 2011, raising hopes for economic
improvement and greater democracy. Morsi
's victory - albeit won through elections bound by the formal point of view - led
to an ever-increasing power of the Muslim Brotherhood (Fm) , who attempted to occupy
all positions of command, with a resulting greater Islamization of the country
and a failure of the economy.
Last
summer, tens of millions of Egyptians demonstrated against Morsi demanding his
overthrow. The
army, claiming to respond to the will of the people, detained Morsi and
promised a road-map for a new constitution and free and fair elections. Morsi's
deposition - desired even by many Muslims and even by the Salafis - generated a
lot of violence against Christians - with attacks and burning of Christian churches,
homes and shops - and a series of attacks against the military . In
an effort to guarantee order, Muslim Brotherhood organizations were outlawed and
several of their leaders were arrested.
Egyptian society is now
tense and divided. A
few days ago, three judges set to judge the leader of MB, Mohammed Badie , and
two of his aides resigned from office. Ahead of Morsi's trial his supporters called
for some protoests, but it is unclear whether it will be possible for them to
gather given the heavy deployment of soldiers .
On
the eve of trial, the newspaper Al Watan posted a video on its website, where Morsi
is seen at his place of detention, while talking with strangers of his trial. Dressed
in a tracksuit, he states that his being brought to trial is "a crime"
any way you look at it.
According
to the MB, the deposition of Morsi was a military coup led by Gen. Abdel
Fattah al- Sisi, according to more than 30 million Egyptians - who were
demanding his ouster - it was an act of freedom. But
many fear that the military could return to power as has been the case since the
time of Gamal Abdel Nasser.
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