Egyptian prosecution opens investigations into charges against ousted president

The Egyptian Public Prosecution said Saturday they started investigating espionage and murder charges against ousted president Mohamed Morsi and key figures in the Muslim Brotherhood. The defendants include Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood Mohammad Badie, his predecessor Mohammad Mahdi Akef, Chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party Essam Al-Aryan, former MPs Mohamad Al-Beltaji and Essam Sultan as well as Safwat Hejazi and Mahmoud Ghizlan, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Adel Al-Saeed. The reports received by the prosecution show that those accused are involved in espionage activities for foreign countries, killing of protesters and inciting attacks against the military institution, Al-Saeed said. Meanwhile, Al-Azhar called on all Egyptian to join forces and work together for serving the stability and higher interests of the homeland. It urged in a statement all concerned parties and mass media to stop incitement campaigns which could be detrimental to the efforts to restore calm. The statement also called for avoiding any attempt to implicate Al-Azhar in the political tensions or attribute false reports to this moderate Islamic institution.