Hasan Esen
20 January 2020•Update: 20 January 2020
LONDON
A legal chambers in the U.K. has called on judicial authorities to issue an arrest warrant for the incumbent Egyptian president for his role in the death of Mohamed Morsi, the country's first democratically-elected president.
The International Justice Chambers (Guernica 37) in a statement late on Sunday urged the London counter-terrorism units to launch a probe into “credible allegations of torture made against the Egyptian government and state organs.”
The call came ahead of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s expected visit to the U.K. where he will participate in an investment summit seeking to strengthen ties between London and African nations.
Morsi was ousted in a military coup by Sisi in 2013 and died during trial last June.
At the time of his death, Morsi faced a host of legal charges, which he, along with numerous human rights groups and independent observers, said were politically motivated.
The statement went on to say that there was concrete evidence suggesting the military junta’s treatment killed Morsi and that his death was intentional.
It added that it was unlikely that Sisi was unaware of the torture Morsi suffered in prison.
The legal chambers said the U.K. was responsible for taking action on torture-related crimes no matter where it was committed, adding relevant steps had to be taken regarding Sisi’s visit to the kingdom.
They had previously urged the UN to launch an independent probe into Morsi’s death.
Often regarded as one of the pioneering figures of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi was elected president in 2012.
*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas
