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           Egypt's Morsi Detained on Charges of Conspiring with Hamas

   by VOA News

   Egypt's state prosecutor has ordered the continued detention of ousted
   President Mohamed Morsi on charges he conspired with the Palestinian
   militant group Hamas, as the country braced for rival protests Friday.
   The official MENA news agency said Mr. Morsi has been detained for 15
   days for investigation into the charges. The Islamist leader has not
   been seen or heard from since July 3, when he was removed by Egypt's
   military.
   Investigators are determining whether Mr. Morsi worked with Hamas to
   help him and other Islamist leaders' escape from prison during the 2011
   uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.
   A spokesman for Mr. Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood on Friday slammed the
   accusation, saying they were proof that Mr. Mubarak's regime has
   returned to power.
   Cairo Bracing for More Protests
   The charges come as supporters and opponents of Mr. Morsi plan rival
   mass protests on Friday, raising fears of continued violence that has
   left dozens dead in recent weeks.
   Army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has called for "all honorable
   Egyptians" to take to the streets to give him a mandate to fight what
   he called "violence and terrorism."
   Many Islamists view the statement as a prelude to a violent crackdown
   and have called for their own protests. Egypt's army has recently used
   "violence and terrorism" to refer to the actions of Mr. Morsi's Muslim
   Brotherhood.
   A military spokesman insists Sissi's statement was not aimed at any
   single political group. While he says the military respects peaceful
   protests, he vowed that any violence will be dealt with "decisively and
   with force."
   Concern Over Violence
   World leaders are expressing increasing concern about the rising
   violence, the polarization of Egyptian society, and the army's
   crackdown on Brotherhood leaders.
   On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for
   restraint on all sides, saying he supports the rights of all Egyptians
   to hold peaceful protests.
   He also said the Egyptian military should "end arbitrary arrests and
   other reported forms of harassment." He said Mr. Morsi and other
   detained members of the Muslim Brotherhood should either be freed or
   have their cases reviewed.
   The U.S. has also expressed concern about Sissi's calls for protests.
   Hours after the Wednesday speech, the Obama administration announced it
   had delayed the delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt's military.
   But on Thursday, the White House delivered what could be considered a
   victory to Egypt's army by announcing it will not declare its overthrow
   of the government as a coup. Such a designation would have required the
   U.S. to suspend its massive military and economic aid to Egypt.
   The army has denied accusations that its move represented a coup. It
   says it was obligated to remove Mr. Morsi, Egypt's first elected
   president, following days of large protests against his rule.
   The Egyptian military dominated Egyptian politics for decades until the
   2011 overthrow of ex-military general and president Hosni Mubarak. It
   has a long history of animosity toward the Muslim Brotherhood, which is
   Egypt's most organized political party.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/egypts-morsi-detained-on-charges-of-c
   onspiring-with-hamas/1710421.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/egypts-morsi-detained-on-charges-of-conspiring-with-hamas/1710421.html