An Egyptian criminal court has renewed the detention of a leading Muslim Brotherhood figure and five others for another 45 days pending an investigation into charges of espionage in favour of a foreign country, harming Egypt’s interests and staging protests to hinder the work of state institutions.
Senior Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Ali Beshr, who served as a minister of local development when ousted President Mohamed Morsi was in power, was first arrested in November 2014, and his detention has been repeatedly renewed since.
The High State Security Prosecution accused Beshr of espionage with the aim of harming Egypt’s political, social and economic standing; taking part in a plot that seeks to topple the country’s ruling regime; membership in a terrorist organisation with the aim of hindering the rule of law and the work of state institutions and disturbing public peace.
Beshr was a minister under Morsi’s rule before the country’s military ousted him in July 2013. The coup which ousted Morsi was followed by the arrest of scores of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, members and supporters, many of whom have been sentenced or are detained pending investigation.
Morsi himself is serving three lengthy prison sentences after he was convicted in a number of cases.
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