Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday.
Morsi, the country’s first freely-elected leader, came to power as part of the Muslim Brotherhood group in 2012 after autocrat Hosni Mubarak was ousted.
However, they found themselves imprisoned a year later when millions of Egyptians protested against them for abuse of power and the military overthrew them.
Morsi, along with 12 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders and Islamic supporters, were sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012.
The ruling can be appealed.
Amr Darrag, a top figure in the Muslim Brotherhood currently exiled in Istanbul, Turkey, called the ruling “a sad and terrible day in Egyptian history.”
“They want to pass a life sentence for democracy in Egypt,” Darrag said.
Morsi faces three other trials on charges such as undermining national security by conspiring with foreign groups and orchestrating a prison break.
(H/T The Associated Press)
