(VOVworld) – A court in Cairo upheld a death sentence against deposed president Mohamed Morsi for plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the 2011 uprising.

Former president Mohamed Morsi appeared inside a cage in the courtroom where he stood trial in Cairo [photo:EPA]

 The court had initially sentenced Morsi and more than 100 other defendants to death last month. Earlier on Tuesday, the same court sentenced Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood guide Mohamed Badei and other seven members of the group to life in prison on charges of spying for the Palestinian Hamas movement, Lebanon's Shia Hezbollah, and Iran. In the same case, the court confirmed death sentences against 16 other defendants, including Kairate El-Shater, a Muslim Brotherhood top leader, Mohammed al-Beltagi, Freedom and Justice Party's Secretary General, and Ahmed Abdel-Aaty, former presidential Morsi's aide.  The defendants were accused of working with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas that go against Egypt’s national benefit.

The verdict can still be challenged in Egypt’s highest appeals court.