CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to life in prison on Tuesday on charges of spying for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, and Iran.

The court also confirmed death sentences against 16 other defendants on charges of delivering secret documents abroad between 2005 and 2013.

The court has decided however to upheld the death sentences it handed down against Morsi and 100 other defendants in a separate trial on charges related to their escape from prison during the 2011 uprising that ousted veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak.

On May 16 Morsi and more than 100 others were sentenced to death after being convicted of plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the uprising more than four years ago that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak.

Read: Morsi,100 others sentenced to death

The sentence was criticised by human rights groups, the United States and the European Union, as well as Pakistan.

Take a look: Egypt protests Pakistan's criticism of Morsi death sentence

Morsi had been charged with colluding with foreign powers, the Palestinian Hamas and Iran to destabilise Egypt.