Egypt: 6th coup anniversary comes without icon Morsi

By Ali Abo Rezeg

ANKARA (AA) - Six years ago, the Egyptian army's tanks gathered close to the well-known Al-Tahrir square announcing an end of the only one-year-long Egyptian democracy.

However, this year's anniversary comes amid extreme grief filling the pro-uprising figures after their iconic leader Mohammed Morsi passed away during a court appearance.

Following 18 days of unabated protests, Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades, was eventually forced to step down and relinquish power to the Egyptian military.

Morsi was elected as the first ever democratically elected president in the Egyptian history by winning the first post-revolution presidential election in 2012.

In 2013, Morsi said the Egyptian uprising that broke out in Jan. 25, 2011 “achieved -- and will continue to achieve -- its goals”.

However, he went on to warn the public of covert attempts to "steal" the uprising and subvert its goals.

Only after a year in power, Egypt witnessed army-backed protests before then Egyptian defense minister and current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi overthrew him in a military coup.

On June 30, 2013, tens of thousands of people -- egged on by the media -- took part in anti-Morsi demonstrations, while Morsi’s followers hit the streets in support of the embattled president.

Three days later, the army ousted and imprisoned Morsi in a coup led by al-Sisi. The following year, al-Sisi was elected president.

Following Morsi’s ouster, the Egyptian authorities launched a relentless crackdown on political dissent, killing or imprisoning thousands of Morsi’s supporters and members of his now-banned Muslim Brotherhood. Dozens of youth were also slapped with death penalty for "politically-motivated" charges and violence took place after the coup.

- 'Fake and politically motivated' charges

Morsi was abducted and imprisoned, facing a host of charges many believed they were totally "fake and politically motivated."

There were six charges against the former leader, including "jailbreak, murder, spying for Qatar, spying for Hamas and Hezbollah, insulting the judiciary and involvement in terrorism".

Morsi’s family along with local and international organizations repeatedly complained about his worsening health conditions in prison and his solitary confinement. All of these appeals were ignored by the Egyptian authorities.

Abdel-Monem Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer for the former president, announced Morsi's death on June 17 during a court appearance, saying that the "mistreatment and the medical neglect" led to his martyrdom.

Morsi was labelled by many observers and analysts as the "icon of the Egyptian revolution," after his steadfastness and insistence on the uprising principles against the "counter-revolution bids to thwart its goals".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Morsi "a martyr who died struggling for his cause", saying history will never forget the tyrants who caused his martyrdom.

Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's minister for human rights, said: "Morsi's incarceration & death symbolize the tragedy of democracy struggling under shadow of Uncle Sam. What promise the Arab Spring held & how it was destroyed - is similar to what happened to Allende & other democratic nationalist forces around the world inimical to the powerful!"

Abderrazak Makri, the leader of Algeria's largest Islamic party Movement for the Society of Peace, described Morsi the "oppressed legitimate Egyptian president".

Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement wished that may Morsi's death becomes "a reason to put an end to the suffering of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt" and for starting dialogue for a new democratic political life.

In Libya, Mohamed al-Amari, a member of the UN-recognized Libyan Presidential Council, described Morsi as a martyr, adding he had "set an example with his patience, steadfastness and adherence to his principles".