#Morsi

On Saturday 18 June, the Egyptian Court of Cassation sentenced deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to life on a charge of collaboration with Qatar. Ten other defendants were also sentenced; six received the death penalty. Morsi has already been sentenced to death on a previous charge relating to his escape from Wadi El-Natroun prison during the Egyptian revolution.

Reactions to the verdict have been varied. Supporters of Egypt President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi went online to express their satisfaction with the verdict; however hashtags in support of Morsi and his fellow defendants were circulating more.

The hashtag #Morsi_is_still_the_president has been used over 18,000 times since the verdict while #Communication_with_Qatar (a literal translation of the charge against Morsi) was used nearly 17,000 times.

Egyptian judge Waleed Sharaby, a vocal opponent of the coup against Morsi, tweeted:

“President Morsi wears a red suit in detention but hasn’t for one moment given up on his legitimacy. I advise all the critics to take Morsi’s strength and steadfastness as an example,” in reference to the jumpsuit worn only by those sentenced to death.

Saudi activist Dr Kassab Al-Utaibi said “communication with Qatar” was no different to ordinary diplomatic relations between any two states:

“A life sentence for Morsi for his relations with Qatar. Relations with Qatar are now considered ‘communication’, and conspiring with Israel is now normal diplomatic relations. We’re living in a time of wonders!”

Journalist Iman Al-Hammoud asked:

“How is the Gulf Cooperation Council going to react? It seems that communicating with one of its members is a charge that could lead someone to a life sentence or an execution! #Communication_with_Qatar.”

A Twitter user calling Eman asked:

“OK, so who was he communicating with in Qatar, or was it a one-sided communication? #Morsi is still the president.”

Mervat Abdelglel tweeted this in reference to the two Red Sea islands that Egypt gave to Saudi earlier this year.:

“The trial of the president is a trial of everyone who voted for him. President Morsi did not give away any Egyptian land, Morsi is the president of all free people,”

A Twitter user going by the name of Dr Ahmed tweeted:

“They want to kill the idea of freedom and dignity in this generation and the generations to come but the steadfastness of the president and his brothers will ruin their plans.”

Pro-Sisi Twitter users used the hashtag “Egypt_closes_the_Brotherhood_chapter” to express their support for the court’s verdict. It has been used nearly 9,000 times since Saturday.

Sherry tweeted:

“Everyone who elected the spy Morsi and still supports him and his group is a spy like them and hates their own country.”

Omar Bin Suleiman tweeted:

“The first president in the world to collaborate against his ancient country for the benefit of a despicable state.  Morsi has entered history from the worst door.”