Cairo, July 26: An investigating judge has ordered the detention of Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsy over alleged contacts with Hamas to help in his escape from prison in 2011, the official state news agency reported on Friday in the first official word on his status since a military coup on July 3.
The MENA news agency said Mr. Morsy has been detained for 15 days for investigation into the charges. His detention can be extended as the inquiry continues.
The announcement comes after military strongman Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi called for mass demonstrations on Friday to oppose what he called “terrorism,” a reference to Mr. Morsy's Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood also called for mass protests on Friday, escalating fears of clashes between the two opposing groups of demonstrators or with the military, which has pledged to keep order and prevent violence.
The case concerns the mass jailbreak of dozens of Muslim Brotherhood leaders during the popular uprising in 2011 that toppled Mr. Morsy's predecessor, President Hosni Mubarak.
Muslim Brotherhood officials have said they were aided by local residents in breaking out of prison, not foreigners.
The MENA report said Mr. Morsy is being investigated over allegations of collaborating with Hamas “to carry out anti-state acts, attacking police stations, army officers and storming prisons, setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers , soldiers and prisoners.”
