Security forces have been accused of murdering Egypt’s former president Mohamed Morsi after friends and colleagues say police failed to administer first aid fast enough when he collapsed during a hearing in Cairo on Monday. Prison guards allegedly left the 67-year-old Muslim Brotherhood leader “slumped on the floor” of his courtroom cage for more than 20 minutes, despite other defendants calling for help.
Morsi, who was suffering from diabetes, hypertension and liver disease, had collapsed after speaking during a retrial hearing on charges of collaborating with foreign powers and militant groups. The Egyptian attorney-general’s office denied the claims, saying he “was transported immediately to the hospital” where he was later pronounced dead. He is believed to have died from a heart attack.
The United Nations and rights groups have called for an independent investigation into the detention conditions and death of the Islamist.