Egypt court revokes ousted President Morsi's execution

An Egyptian court on Tuesday revoked the death sentence of ousted President Mohamed Morsi and ordered a retrial in a mass jailbreak case, media reported.

Morsi was sentenced to death in June last year in connection with a mass jail break during the country's 2011 uprising, Xinhua news agency reported.

The first President to be democratically elected after the 2011 revolt, Morsi was overthrown in a coup led by now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in 2013.

Morsi, who was immediately arrested after the coup, has received lengthy jail sentences related to other charges, including two high-profile espionage cases. Tuesday's court ruling means he will no longer be executed.

The court said Morsi would be given a new trial alongside five other leaders of his now-banned Muslim Brotherhood group, whose death sentences in the same case were also quashed.

Last month, a court upheld a 20-year jail sentence for Morsi over the killing of protesters in December 2012. It was the first final verdict against Morsi.

--IANS

py/ahm/vt