Former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi was sentenced to death following charges that he collaborated with foreign groups and escaped from prison during the 2011 revolt against his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.
A court announced the verdicts against Mursi, 63, in a televised session on Saturday, at which he was present. The sentence is pending approval by the nation's top Muslim theologian, or Mufti, a customary procedure when passing capital punishment in Egypt.
Mursi, who became Egypt's first freely elected civilian president in 2012, was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison in connection with violence that erupted near the presidential palace in Cairo during a protest against his rule. He remains on trial for other charges including insulting the judiciary, and spying for Qatar.
Mursi and 130 others, including dozens of members of the Palestinian Hamas movement and Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group, were also accused of escaping from prisons and attacking police during the uprising against Mubarak, who led Egypt for 30 years until his ousting.
Muslim Brotherhood official Amr Darrag condemned the court's decision and called on the international community to take action. "This is a political verdict and represents a murder crime that is about to be committed, and it should be stopped by the international community," Darrag, co-founder of the dissolved Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also criticised Egypt over the court decision
Meanwhile, at least three judges were shot dead by gunmen in Egypt's restive Sinai region, where security forces have been locked in a battle with Islamist insurgents backed by an outfit linked to the Islamic State group. The shooting happened hours after Morsi was sentenced to death.
A court announced the verdicts against Mursi, 63, in a televised session on Saturday, at which he was present. The sentence is pending approval by the nation's top Muslim theologian, or Mufti, a customary procedure when passing capital punishment in Egypt.
Mursi, who became Egypt's first freely elected civilian president in 2012, was sentenced last month to 20 years in prison in connection with violence that erupted near the presidential palace in Cairo during a protest against his rule. He remains on trial for other charges including insulting the judiciary, and spying for Qatar.
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In the espionage case, Mursi and 35 co-defendants, including leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood Islamist group, were accused of divulging state secrets and conspiring with foreign powers to carry out acts of terrorism in Egypt.
Mursi and 130 others, including dozens of members of the Palestinian Hamas movement and Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group, were also accused of escaping from prisons and attacking police during the uprising against Mubarak, who led Egypt for 30 years until his ousting.
Muslim Brotherhood official Amr Darrag condemned the court's decision and called on the international community to take action. "This is a political verdict and represents a murder crime that is about to be committed, and it should be stopped by the international community," Darrag, co-founder of the dissolved Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood said. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also criticised Egypt over the court decision
Meanwhile, at least three judges were shot dead by gunmen in Egypt's restive Sinai region, where security forces have been locked in a battle with Islamist insurgents backed by an outfit linked to the Islamic State group. The shooting happened hours after Morsi was sentenced to death.