The trial of Mohammed Morsi, former president of Egypt, has been adjourned until 8 January 2014. Already marked by controversy, the judge in charge of the trial was forced to postpone proceedings twice before giving up altogether due to the disruptive heckling emanating from supporters of the ousted President and his fellow defendants, in what Wael Haddara, Mr MorsiÔÇÖs communications advisor, described as ÔÇ£a kangaroo courtÔÇØ and a ÔÇ£charadeÔÇØ, in lieu of the courtÔÇÖs heavy influence by the military. After this deferment, Mr Morsi was flown to Burj al-Arab prison in Alexandria.
Mr Morsi was removed from power on 3 July in a military coup, led by General Abdul al-Sisi, once his Defence Minister. This was preceded by intense protests by millions of EgyptÔÇÖs citizens, culminating in an Egyptian Army ultimatum delivered to the president that he concede to the peopleÔÇÖs demands and step down from power on 1 July, which was enforced by 3 July when Mr Morsi was replaced by Chief Justice Adly Mansour and placed under house arrest. The Muslim Brotherhood denounced the move as a coup, leading to bloody riots in which hundreds of people were killed on both sides; violence not seen since the overthrow of Horsi Mubarak in 2012. Many perceived Mr MorsiÔÇÖs government as favouring the more Islamic sections of EgyptÔÇÖs society, his regime ignoring those advocating secular rule and a broader base of individual rights. A major cause of the unrest swelling in the country, and indeed the main charge levelled at Mr Morsi is believed to be the killing of 10 protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012 after he extended his constitutional powers unconditionally. After the initial wave of arrests and bloodshed, the state security forces issued a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood activity, not without reprisal, as vehement opposition and outrage to the measures taken by the army continues, with the death toll of supporters of both sides estimated to exceed 600.
ÔÇ£I am EgyptÔÇÖs legitimate presidentÔÇØ exclaimed Mr Morsi at the courtÔÇÖs supposed illegitimacy, a face of defiance that was mirrored by the protesting crowds outside the police compound, but these words pose a wider question-is this a legal removal in the form of impeachment, or, as Mr Morsi and the 14 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood facing trial claim, is it a direct violation of EgyptÔÇÖs first democratic elections in the form of an unlawful coup? With either life imprisonment or the death penalty awaiting him if he is convicted, and violence on the streets in Egypt seemingly unrelenting, the ripples of this trial are likely to pervade throughout the entire Arab world.
Jonathan Chapman
Politics Writer
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