Egyptian court postpones Morsi verdict to June 16

CAIRO

An Egyptian court postponed Tuesday the verdict in former President Mohamed Morsi's jailbreak and espionage cases to June 16.

Last month, the court had asked for the opinion of Egypt’s highest religious authority on death sentences it issued against Morsi and 105 co-defendants who were accused of taking part in a mass jailbreak during Egypt's 2011 uprising that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. 

Although the court said it received the opinion of the grand mufti, the verdict was postponed for two weeks.

The court did not reveal the mufti’s opinion, which is non-binding. Egyptian law, however, makes it necessary for judges to seek a religious point of view on any death sentence.

Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, was ousted by the military in a coup in July 2013 – only one year after assuming office in the country’s first free and democratic elections. 

The military's actions came hours after mass protests against Morsi's rule.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Egyptian police detained two senior Muslim Brotherhood members, Abdurrahman Ghezlan and Mahmoud al-Bar. 

Since Morsi's ouster, Egyptian authorities have launched a relentless crackdown on dissent that has largely targeted Morsi supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.