Global concern over Morsi death sentence; India remains silent

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By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 20 May 2015: Despite the world community’s deep concern over the death sentence to ousted president of Egypt Dr Mohammad Morsi and 105 of his supporters by an Egyptian court, the Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained silence on it.

Morsi, internationally acknowledged as Egypt’s first democratically elected president, was sentenced to death on Saturday (16th May) by an Egyptian court through, in Amnesty International’s words, “the trials (which were) nothing but a charade”.

The court has sent the verdict to the Grand Mufti, Egypt’s top religious authority, for his endorsement. His opinion, however, will not be binding on the court which will make the final decision on the sentences on 2nd June.

Morsi won the Egypt presidential elections in June 2012 but in the first week of July next year, he was ousted from power through a military coup by his Defence Minister Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi and Morsi has since been behind bars.

Since the Saturday death verdict by a Cairo court against 106 people including Morsi in a mass jail break case of 2011, several countries and international bodies have expressed their concern on the judgement.

UN, US, Amnesty
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon on Monday expressed serious concern over the death sentence to ousted president Mohammad Morsi. “The secretary-general understands that the verdict is still subject to an appeal,” said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. “He will continue to monitor the process very closely.”

The United States said it was “deeply concerned” over the verdict. “We have consistently spoken out against the practice of mass trials and sentences, which are conducted in a manner that is inconsistent with Egypt’s international obligations and the rule of law,” a US State Department official said Sunday.

The Amnesty International, while condemning the death sentence to Morsi and 105 others, said the trials were grossly unfair and it shows the deplorable state of the country’s criminal justice system. “Condemning Mohamed Morsi to death after more grossly unfair trials shows a complete disregard for human rights. His trials were undermined even before he set foot in the courtroom. The fact that he was held for months incommunicado without judicial oversight and that he didn’t have a lawyer to represent him during the investigations makes these trials nothing but a charade based on null and void procedures,” said Said Boumedouha, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Amnesty demanded Egypt to ensure the independence and impartiality of the justice system.
“The death penalty has become the favourite tool for the Egyptian authorities to purge the political opposition. Most of those sentenced to death by courts since July 2013 have been Morsi supporters. The deal seems to be: Support Morsi and get sentenced to death or to years behind bars. Instead, Egypt must ensure the independence and impartiality of the justice system and bring to justice all those responsible for gross human rights violations,” said Boumedouh.

Muslim countries
Taking strong posture over the death sentence to Morsi, Turkey has said it will take it to the UN Human Rights Commission. “We are continuing our consultations firstly with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf countries. We are reviewing current mechanisms for international initiatives. We plan to start necessary initiatives soon, to at the UN Human Rights Committee at first hand,” Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in a press conference on Monday.

Turkish President Recep Erdogan had on Saturday condemned Egypt for sentencing Morsi to death. “Egypt is returning to ancient Egypt,” Erdogan said, adding that “the West, unfortunately, is still turning a blind eye to (Egyptian President Abdul Fattah) Sisi’s coup.”

The foreign ministry of Pakistan said in a statement: “The news of the death sentence awarded to former elected president of Egypt Mohamad Morsi and more than 100 others has been received in Pakistan with considerable concern.” “Pakistan, therefore, underscores the fact, highlighted by many other countries, that the dispensation of justice must be based on the principles of equity and fairness,” the statement said.

Iran on Tuesday expressed “concern and regret” over the death verdict. “Such verdicts, which encourage violence and exclusion (of opponents), hurts Egypt’s image and credibility,” Xinhua news agency quoted Iran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham as saying.

India
The Indian government has not yet taken any stand on the death sentence to Morsi because, some say, India rarely takes a side on Arab issues.

In March 2013, nine months after becoming President of Egypt, Morsi had visited India on his first official tour and met President Pranab Mukherjee and then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. The two counties had also signed some agreements with each other. Morsi had also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was then chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance and Sushma Swaraj, then Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and now country’s External Affairs Minister.


Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Smt. Sushma Swaraj calling on Egypt President Dr. Mohamed Morsy, in New Delhi on March 19, 2013. (Photo – PIB)

Three months after the visit, a military coup took place in Egypt in July 2013 and Morsi was sacked from the power. India remained silent both at the coup and ouster of Morsi.

Indian Muslims
However, some Muslim leaders have strongly condemned the death sentence to Morsi.

While addressing a press conference here today, leaders of All India Muslim Majlise Mushawarat, apex umbrella body of Indian Muslim organizations, expressed serious concern on the development in Egypt. They alleged that the military junta is pushing the country to civil war and demanded the world community to raise voice.


Mushawarat leaders (from left) – Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, Nusrat Ali and Masoom Moradabadi at press conference in New Delhi on 20 May 2015.

“We demand the United States and Gulf countries to take their responsibility to establish peace in Egypt and the region and not to let the region becoming more chaotic. We especially demand US President Barack Obama to change his foreign policy before leaving the office,” said Dr Zafarul Islam Khan, President of Mushawarat.

Regarding India’s stand on Egypt, Dr Khan did not appear much hopeful that the BJP government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would depart from India’s traditional silence on Arab issues.

“I think Indian government do not take any stand on Arab issues. They stand neutral. Their only concern is Indians working there and the oil and gas they find from there. You do not find them speaking about Palestine, Yemen, Iraq or Libya or whatever and if they ever speak it is in very very mild tone in which they will ask both parties to take care of civilians. They do not take any clear steadfast stand; the previous Congress regime was also working on the same policy,” said Dr. Khan, veteran journalist who is also Editor of The Milli Gazette fortnightly.

Nusrat Ali, Vice President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a founder constituent of the umbrella body Mushawarat, said the government of General Al-Sisi is illegal and the ousted government of Morsi should be restored.

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