Egypt Protests Live: Mohammad Morsi Charged With Espionage

Impact

According to Egyptian state media this Friday, Mohammad Morsi, who has been detained by the Egyptian Army without charge since early July,  has been charged with espionage. Morsi now formally faces 15 days in detention for questioning. 

This ruling comes just after the Morsi family accused the Egyptian Army of "kidnapping" him. In a press conference this week, the family vowed to bring legal action against the Egyptian Army.  

Morsi's current espionage charge refers to his prison break in 2011 from Wadi Natroun prison, where President Hosni Mubarak detained multiple Brotherhood members during the uprising against Mubarak's rule. Prosecutors ruled that Morsi had conspired with Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group, to escape from the prison and carry out "aggressive acts in the country" toward police officers and soldiers. 

After Morsi's escape in 2011, he denied any connection with the men who had released him, calling them men he "did not know."

Though many suspected that Morsi may have been lying, prosecutors only began a full and aggressive investigation after Morsi's ousting in early July. 

Thousands of Morsi supporters and opponents have been demonstrating for and against the leader this Friday.