By Charlene Gubash
CAIRO — Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was sentenced to 20 years in jail Tuesday on charges relating to the deaths of protesters outside his palace three years ago.
The Islamist was the country's first democratically elected leader. He was overthrown by the military in 2013 following demonstrations by millions of people calling on him to leave office.
The Cairo Criminal Court issued the verdict as Morsi and other defendants in the case — mostly Muslim Brotherhood leaders — stood in a soundproof glass cage inside a makeshift courtroom at Egypt's national police academy. It was also televised on Egypt's state broadcaster.
Judge Ahmed Youssef dropped murder charges and said the sentence was linked to the "show of force" and unlawful detention associated with the case.
Morsi faces several other trials along with thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members.
He was elected in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring protests which resulted in the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
Mohammed Morsi waves during his trial in Cairo, Egypt, on December 7, 2014.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
First published April 21 2015, 1:48 AM
Charlene Gubash
Charlene Gubash is an NBC News producer based in Cairo. Gubash, a native Minnesotan, has lived and worked in the Egyptian capital since 1985.
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