Morsi from jail: Our troubles serve Israeli interests

Al-Watan releases first photos allegedly documenting ousted President Mohamed Morsi in jail. Article reveals three transcripts of conversations held by Morsi with prominent figures

Roi Kais|Published: 11.03.13 , 13:32

A day before the trial of ousted President Mohamed Morsi opens, Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan released photos on Sunday allegedly documenting him in the facility in which he is held by the army. Since Morsi's overthrow in July, no pictures of him in custody were released. In the published photo, which has yet to be authenticated, Morsi is seen wearing sweats and sitting on a leather chair.

The Egyptian paper published the transcripts of three conversations Morsi allegedly held with prominent political and foreign figures in his detention facility, which also have yet to be verified. The paper, which is not pro-Muslim Brotherhood, reported that Morsi is at a state of denial, often contradicts himself, and that his tension and nervousness are evident.

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According to the paper, one of the topics discussed by Morsi is his attitude towards Israel, an issue which he attempted to avoid during his time in office. In one of the conversations, Morsi is quoted as saying: "Your children will pay the price." To those present, who thought he was referring to the situation in Egypt, he clarified he is referring to the tense relations between Egypt and Israel.

In another transcript, Morsi speaks about the truce between Israel and Hamas, which was brokered by Egypt. Without addressing the content of the agreement, Morsi said: "It does not want our best interest at all. Days may prove that they are behind the predicament we are in now. It may be, and I have no certain information to accuse anyone, that the situation serves Israel."

Ousted President Morsi in custody

Later in the conversation, as Al-Watan described, one of those present disrupted Morsi and asked him why he did voice these opinions while still in office. Morsi ignored the question.

At the end of July, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton met with Morsi at the facility in which he is held. Al-Watan claimed that several inconsistencies were noted within his remarks. According to the paper, Morsi expressed to Ashton his displeasure at being in custody and wondered how a president could be held in custody. He even claimed the Muslim Brotherhood was negotiating a solution to the crisis with political figures.

According to the paper, Morsi asked that the EU and the US help him be reinstated and vowed to correct the mistakes he made during his tenure. When asked by Ashton why he did not dismiss the Egyptian government at the time or the state prosecutor, and why he did not allow early presidential elections, Morsi responded: "If the country has a president, it should be assumed he is the one making the decisions and he is in charge. It cannot be that whoever voices his opinion will carry out his wishes."

Al-Watan further reported that the ousted Egyptian president admitted to Ashton for the first time that there was a popular uprising against him. "Yes, millions took the streets. They say 30 million people. They needed to wait for new elections for parliament, because whoever has 30 million citizens will win any elections." Ashton responded that the matter is not the elections to parliament, but the early elections for president. "Yes…They said we would hold a referendum on keeping Egypt's president in office or conducting early presidential elections," he responded.

"The constitution does not state that. These words are not true," he said. Afterwards, Morsi contradicted himself in his conversation with Ashton once again when he said that the protesters left the streets on the night of July 1, a day before the outbreak of demonstrations, which left Ashton in shock, according to the paper.

Another transcript quotes a guard offering Morsi a drink and calling him "doctor". "Why don't you call me president?" Morsi wondered. "You see. They don't recognize me as the president of Egypt. They keep calling me doctor. This really is a revolt."

Even after those present attempted to explain to him that he is not the president, he insisted and said: "I am the president according to the constitution in this country. The authority of us all is the constitution. As I am the president I stick to this constitution."

In the same conversation, Morsi addressed his upcoming prosecution. "I refuse to be called a defendant since the procedures for trying the country's president are entirely different according to the constitution. I am not involved in the killing of protesters and I will tell that to the judges."