MOHAMED Morsi protested for his innocence and objected to his detention before the court. A few minutes later, he collapsed, suffered a fatal heart attack and died in a glass defendants’ cage. His health situation had continuously been declining and he was known to suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.

His death has been mourned all around the world. The strongest response came from Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, who said Morsi was “a martyr who lost his life while he fought for the cause he believed in. History will never forget the tyrants who put him in prison, threatened him with death penalty and caused his martyrdom.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) described his death as ‘terrible but entirely predictable’.

The HRW has been documenting his health for the last several years. He was deprived of proper medical treatment, access to television, email or any communication with friends and family and even adequate food.

Every time he appeared in the court he requested private medical care and treatment but was denied this.

The UN human rights office has, like always, woken up now and called for a ‘prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation’ into Morsi’s death.

Amnesty International, Global Rights, International Committee of the Red Cross, UN human rights office, HRW and all other such organisations should note the unfavorable conditions in Egypt’s prisons where thousands of Islamists and secular activists are facing abusive dealing.

M. Khalid Kamal

Doha, Qatar

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2019