Morsi to Stand Trial for Inciting Violence

Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will stand trial to face charges of inciting violence, an Egyptian prosecutor announced.

The charges stem from an incident in December 2012, when Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders encouraged supporters to carry out murder, use violence, as well as arrest and torture peaceful protesters outside the presidential palace, al-Masry al-Youm reported.

Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat announced the charges against Morsi along with the Muslim Brotherood’s Freedom and Justice Party leader Essam al-Erian as well as several other Muslim Brotherhood officials.

According to al-Masry al-Youm, investigations revealed evidence that the defendants and their supporters “assaulted protesters, removing their tents, burning them and firing on demonstrators,” after protesters gathered to demonstrated against Morsi’s controversial Constitutional Declaration, which gave him sweeping presidential powers.

Morsi is also being investigated for his escape from prison during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. He is accused of conspiring with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to commit murder during the prison break, Reuters reported.

Morsi was ousted from power by the Egyptian military on July 3.