Tunisian Islamists denounce mass death sentences in Egypt

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has denounced the death sentences handed down by Egypt against 122 defendants, including former President Mohamed Morsi, Anadolu has reported. The Islamist party called on the Egyptian authorities not to politicise the judiciary, given that Morsi was an elected ruler chosen freely by the people.

The movement called for the sentences against Morsi and his colleagues to be rescinded and for Egypt to refrain from using the judiciary to attack political opponents. It also called on human rights organisations and free people around the entire world to condemn such measures.

“The death sentence against Morsi is unprecedented,” said Ennahdha. “It is an oppressive sentence against a democratically-elected president.”

The Islamist movement also expressed surprise over the death sentence, in the same case, against the venerable Dr Yousef al-Qaradawi, the head of the World Union of Muslim Scholars, describing him as the “symbol of dialogue and moderate Islamic ideology.”

Ennahda stressed the importance of finding space for dialogue between political factions in Egypt, as well as seeking reconciliation to bridge the political gap without excluding any party. “Violent confrontation has dangerous outcomes,” it warned.

According to Anadolu, the Egyptian authorities continued to claim that the judiciary is independent and not politicised.