Morsi Detained Over Jailbreak

An investigating judge has ordered the detention of Egypt's ousted president over alleged contacts with Hamas that are said to have helped in his escape from prison in 2011; the news, from the official state news agency, is the first official word on Mohamed Morsi's status since he was overthrown by the military on July 3. The case against Morsi is rooted in the mass jailbreak of more than 30 Muslim Brotherhood leaders from a prison northwest of Cairo during the 2011 popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

There have been many reports in the Egyptian media that the Brotherhood collaborated with Hamas, its Palestinian wing, and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon to arrange the breakout. Muslim Brotherhood officials have said they were aided by local residents in breaking out of prison, not foreigners, and Hamas has consistently denied any involvement. However, a court in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia has heard testimonies from prison officials and intelligence officers strongly indicating that Morsi and his Brotherhood colleagues were freed when gunmen led by Hamas operatives stormed the Wadi el-Natroun prison. The MENA news agency said Morsi has been detained for 15 days, and indicated that he has already been interrogated. (More jailbreaking stories.)