Cairo: An Egyptian court on Thursday extended for 30 days the detention of deposed Islamist President Mohammad Morsi, who is being held at an undisclosed location on allegations of murder and spying, besides collaborating with Palestinian group Hamas.
A Cairo appeal court today ordered the renewal of 62-year-old Morsi`s detention for 30 days pending investigations into his suspected collaboration with Hamas.
Morsi is facing charges of collaborating with Hamas in attacks on police stations and prison breaks in early 2011 during the uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak.
Egypt`s first democratically elected leader, Morsi was ousted by the army on July 3 after mass protests against him on the anniversary of his election. He has been held by the army at an undisclosed location since then.
The alleged crimes are being investigated by the Cairo court that is tasked to determine how inmates broke out of the Wadi El-Natroun Prison west of Cairo in January 2011. The investigation is focused on claims that Morsi colluded with Hamas to break out of prison and to destroy prison records.
He is also charged with attacking police stations and with the intentional killing and abduction of police officers and prisoners during the uprising, in addition to charges of espionage. Many Islamist leaders, including Morsi, escaped during the prison breaks.
The detention of Saad El-Katatni, the leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, was also renewed for 15 days in the same case.
The ruling comes a day after at least 525 people were killed in the deadliest crackdown by security forces on supporters of Morsi.
The health ministry said the death toll from nationwide violence in Egypt has climbed to 525, making it the bloodiest day since the Arab Spring in 2011.
A defiant Brotherhood has said it planned to march in the capital, Cairo, today against the crackdown that, it claimed, left 2,000 people dead.
PTI
