|
Muslim Brotherhood Number 2 dies in Egypt prison
[IsraelTimes] Essam al-Erian, 66, was arrested in 2013 following army’s ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, on the back of mass protests against his brief ruleA big shot of the outlawed Moslem Brüderbund died Thursday in an Egyptian prison where he was serving multiple sentences including on terror-related charges, his lawyer said. Essam el-Erian, 66, was arrested in 2013 following the army’s ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi on the back of mass protests against his brief rule. "The authorities notified me of his death, and I informed his family to arrange for receiving his body [for burial]," lawyer Abdelmoneim Abdelmaqsood told AFP. "It was a natural death," he added. Egyptian media reported that Erian died of a heart attack, following an argument with a fellow inmate. "I used to be Somebody™!" Erian was the vice president of the Brotherhood’s political wing, the now-dissolved Freedom and Justice party. He was sentenced in multiple cases on charges including incitement to violence, murder and espionage. According to Abdelmaqsood, the cases brought against Erian carried sentences amounting to "a total of 150 years" in prison. Since Morsi’s overthrow, the authorities have cracked down on the Moslem Brüderbund’s rank and file, jailing thousands of members and supporters. They have also blacklisted the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. But the Islamist group has consistently denied any link to violence. Authorities placed Erian on their terror blacklist, a designation that has allowed them to freeze his assets. Morsi himself died in jug in June 2019, after falling ill during a court hearing. Morsi’s rule was marked by deep divisions in Egyptian society, a crippling economic crisis and often-deadly opposition protests. Related: Essam al-Erian: 2018-09-09 Egypt sentences 75 to death, hundreds to jail over 2013 sit-in Essam al-Erian: 2018-08-14 Court jails Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader for life Essam al-Erian: 2014-01-30 Brotherhood guide, leaders referred to criminal court Posted by: trailing wife 2020-08-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=579581 |