Ousted Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi’s family on Monday railed against the country’s military leadership, condemning his detention as a “kidnapping.”
The statement is the first from the former president’s family since Morsi was overthrown on July 3 by the military. Morsi has since been held in custody and has had no contact with his family since then, according to The Associated Press.
“What happened is a crime of kidnapping,” said Osama, one of Morsi’s sons, who is a lawyer. “I can’t find any legal means to have access to him.”
Speaking at a news conference in Cairo, Osama described his father’s confinement as the “embodiment of the abduction of popular will and a whole nation,” and “a scandal in every sense of the word,” as quoted by the BBC.
“We are taking local and international legal measures against Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the leader of the bloody military coup, and his putschist group,” Morsi’s daughter, Shaimaa, told reporters.
The United States, along with several other countries, have called for Morsi to be released.
The Muslim Brotherhood, from which Mursi hails, has recently outlined plans for ending Egypt’s political crisis, insisting on the ousted president’s return after nearly three weeks of protests calling for his reinstatement.
This week, newly-appointed Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy launched a public relations campaign to boost the army-backed administration’s credibility abroad.
Egypt’s interim prime minister, Hazem Beblawi, urged “all political parties to express their opinions peacefully, and to renounce violence,” after weeks of mass protests by pro- and anti-Morsi demonstrators.
(With Associated Press and AFP)
