Egypt allows imprisoned ex-president medical check-ups after years of life-threatening neglect
Egypt allows imprisoned ex-president medical check-ups after years of life-threatening neglect
Egyptian authorities have reportedly allowed the imprisoned former Egyptian president to have a medical examination every month after years of neglect in prison that put his life in danger.
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Morsi has faced a raft of charges in at least four separate cases [Getty]
Egyptian authorities have reportedly allowed imprisoned former Egyptian president to have a medical examination every month after years of neglect in prison that put his life in danger.
An Egyptian court on Monday agreed to grant Mohamed Morsi monthly check-ups in jail and allowed the ousted leader to meet with his defence team after months of isolation, Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
This is the first time Morsi has been allowed access to routine care since his arrest in 2013 following a military coup against his Islamist government, according to the agency.
Morsi's lawyer and family have long complained that the 66-year-old has not received proper medical treatment in prison and has been unlawfully prevented from receiving visits.
In June, Morsi fainted twice and experienced a diabetic coma as a result of the neglect, his family has said.
Human Rights Watch has condemned Egyptian authorities for their mistreatment of Morsi.
"Egyptian authorities appear to have seriously violated former President Morsi’s due process rights and may be interfering in his proper medical treatment," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at HRW.
"Morsi's treatment is a window into the appalling conditions suffered by thousands of political detainees in Egypt."
Morsi has faced a raft of charges in at least four separate cases and had received death sentences from lower courts that he fought on appeal. He still faces retrial on charges of conspiring with terrorist groups.
In September, a court upheld a life sentence for Morsi on charges of harming national security by leaking secret state documents to Qatar while he was in office.
Al Jazeera on Monday published a leaked audio recording of proceedings in a case Morsi is currently fighting for allegedly orchestrating a prison escape during the 2011 uprising that led to the toppling of Hosni Mubarak.
In the audio, Morsi complains that he has been denied access to his defence team for months and cannot properly hear or see court activities because of a glass compartment he must sit in during the trial.
"I am present but absent because of this glass cage," he said.
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