Mohammed Morsi: Egypt's ousted president death sentence upheld

An Egyptian judge has sentenced the country's ousted president Mohammed Morsi to death in connection with a mass jailbreak in 2011.

Earlier, Morsi and other Brotherhood leaders were sentenced to life in prison for spying.

Three Brotherhood senior figures – Khairat El-Shater, Mohamed El-Beltagy and Mohammad Abd el-Aaty – were sentenced to death by hanging. The Islamist group's general guide Mohammed Badie was sentenced to 25 years in jail. The verdicts can be appealed.

On 16 May, a judge sentenced the former Egyptian president to death along with 105 of his Muslim Brotherhood movement, in connection with a mass jailbreak in 2011.

The judge then referred the death sentences of Morsi, 64, and the other prisoners to Grand Mufti Shawki Ibrahim Allam – the country's highest authority on religion and Sharia law – for his approval. On 2 June, an Egyptian judge adjourned the hearing saying he had received the opinion from the Grand Mufti and needed time to consider a final verdict.

During the revolution, prison guards deserted their posts across the country, leading to thousands of prisoners fleeing imprisonment.

Reports differed about how Morsi escaped: some said he had the assistance of friends and family while others said he, and other Muslim Brotherhood members, were broken out by armed Brotherhood militia.

Around 33 other prisoners, including seven senior Muslim Brotherhood members, also fled the jail with Morsi.

The former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for ordering the arrest and torture of protesters during his time in power, from June 2012 to July 2013.

Morsi was Egypt's first democratically elected president. He was overthrown in a military coup in July 2013 following mass demonstrations against his rule. Since then, his Muslim Brotherhood party has been banned and many of its supporters have been arrested.

Opposition to Morsi gained momentum when he bestowed far-reaching powers on himself.