The 2013 Egyptian coup d'etat took place on 3 July 2013. Egyptian army chief General
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
led a coalition to remove the democratically elected
President of Egypt
The president of Egypt is the executive head of state of Egypt and the de facto appointer of the official head of government under the Egyptian Constitution of 2014. Under the various iterations of the Constitution of Egypt following the E ...
,
Mohamed Morsi
Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-AyyatThe spellings of his first and last names vary. survey of 14 news organizations plus Wikipedia in July 2012
Egyptian constitution of 2012
The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt was the former fundamental law of Egypt. It was signed into law by President Mohamed Morsi on 26 December 2012, after it was approved by the Constituent Assembly on 30 November 2012 and passed in ...
. The move came after the military's ultimatum for the government to "resolve its differences" with protesters during
widespread national protests. The military arrested Morsi and
Muslim Brotherhood leaders, and declared Chief Justice of the
Supreme Constitutional Court Adly Mansour
Adly Mahmoud Mansour ( ar, عدلى محمود منصور ; born 23 December 1945) is an Egyptian judge and politician who served as the president (or chief justice) of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt. He also served as interim ...
as the interim president of Egypt. The announcement was followed by demonstrations and clashes between supporters and opponents of the move throughout Egypt.
[
There were mixed international reactions to the events. Most Arab leaders were generally supportive or neutral, with the exception of ]Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
and Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
who strongly condemned the military's actions. The US avoided describing the action as a coup. Other states either condemned or expressed concern over the removal of Morsi. Due to the regulations of the African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...
regarding the interruption of constitutional rule by a member state, Egypt was suspended from that union. There has also been debate in the media regarding the labeling of these events. It has been described by some global media outlets as a coup or as a revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
. Egyptian media outlets mainly referred to the ousting as a revolution, and this term was also favoured by a majority of the Egyptian public.
Ensuing protests in favour of Morsi were violently suppressed culminating with the dispersal and massacre of pro-Morsi sit-ins on 14 August 2013, amid ongoing unrest; journalists and several hundred protestors were killed by police and military force. Muslim Brotherhood members claim 2,600 people were killed. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
documented 904 deaths, describing it as crimes against humanity
Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
and "one of the world's largest killings of demonstrators in a single day in recent history," while the government puts the figure at 624.
Background
In February 2011, Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak, (; 4 May 1928 – 25 February 2020) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the fourth president of Egypt from 1981 to 2011.
Before he entered politics, Mubarak was a career officer in t ...
resigned after 18 days of mass demonstrations that ended his 29-year rule of Egypt. In July 2011 the caretaker government approved an election law, leading to election of a Parliament in December 2011 – January 2012, and an advisory council in January–February 2012. An alliance led by the Freedom and Justice Party won the most seats in each election. An additional 25% of the members of the advisory council were to be appointed by the President. In June 2012, Mohamed Morsi won the presidential election
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pre ...
with 51.73% of total votes to become the first democratically elected president of Egypt.[ In June 2012, prior to Morsi being sworn in as President, the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the election law was unconstitutional and ordered the elected bodies dissolved. After assuming office, President Morsi appointed additional members to the advisory council from 35 political parties and invited the elected bodies to meet to discuss the ruling of the court.
The elected parliament determined that the constitutional court did not have authority to dissolve an elected parliament, then referred the matter to the Court of Cassation. The elected parliament could not pass any laws, but the advisory council continued to give advice on proposed Presidential Decrees. Parliament also proceeded with the creation of a new constitutional committee to draft amendments to the Egyptian Constitution, replacing the committee created in March 2012 but dissolved by the constitutional court. Proposed constitutional amendments were approved in December 2012 by a national referendum. New elections were scheduled for April 2013 under a law approved in draft by the constitutional court, but were postponed to October 2013 to comply with a technical order of an administrative court.
In November 2012, following the protests against the Constitutional Declaration by Morsi, opposition politicians – including ]Mohamed ElBaradei
Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei ( ar, محمد مصطفى البرادعي, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá al-Barādaʿī, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July ...
, Amr Moussa
Amr Moussa ( ar, عمرو موسى, , Amr Muhammad Moussa; born 3 October 1936) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the Secretary-General of the Arab League, a 22-member forum representing Arab states, from 1 June 2001 to 1 July 2011 ...
and Hamdeen Sabahi
Hamdeen Sabahi ( ar, حمدين صباحى, Ḥamdīn Ṣabāḥī, ; born 5 July 1954) is an Egyptian politician, journalist and poet. He is currently the leader of the Egyptian Popular Current and a co-leader of the National Salvation Front. ...
, according to ''The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' – started holding confidential meetings with army leaders, in order to discuss ways of removing President Morsi.
On 28 April 2013, Tamarod
Tamarod ( ar, تـمـرد, tamarrud, "rebellion") was an Egyptian grassroots movement that was founded to register opposition to President Mohamed Morsi and force him to call early presidential elections. The goal was to collect 15 million sig ...
was started as a grassroots movement to collect signatures to remove Morsi by 30 June. They called for peaceful demonstrations across Egypt especially in front of the Presidential Palace in Cairo. The movement was supported by the National Salvation Front, April 6 Youth Movement
The April 6 Youth Movement ( ar, حركة شباب 6 أبريل) is an Egyptian activist group established in Spring 2008 to support the workers in El-Mahalla El-Kubra, an industrial town, who were planning to strike on 6 April.
Activists calle ...
and Strong Egypt Party
The Strong Egypt Party ( ar-at, حزب مصر القوية, Hizb Misr al-Qawia) is an Egyptian centrist political party founded in 2012 by former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh.
History
The Strong Egypt Party was established i ...
.
In a poll published by PEW research center in May 2013, 54% of Egyptians approved of Morsi against a 43% who saw him negatively, while about 30% were happy with the direction of the country, 73% thought positively of the army and only 35% were content about local policy authorities. In the lead up to the protests, a Gallup poll indicated a drop in approval of the national government from 57% in November 2012 to 24% in June 2013. About a third of Egyptians said they were "suffering" and viewed their lives poorly.
At a conference on 15 June, Morsi called for foreign intervention in Syria. According to Yasser El-Shimy, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, this statement crossed "a national security red line." The army rebuked this statement the next day by stating that its only role was to guard Egypt's borders. Although the Egyptian constitution
The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the fundamental law of Egypt.
The Egyptian Constitution of 2014 was passed in a referendum in January 2014. The constitution took effect after the results were announced on 18 January 2014. A ...
ostensibly declares the president as the supreme commander of the armed forces, the Egyptian military is independent of civilian control.
As the first anniversary of Morsi's presidential inauguration approached in 2013, his supporters such as the National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy
The Anti-Coup Alliance (also known as the National Alliance Supporting Legitimacy) is a coalition in Egypt formed to reverse the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi. The coalition is made up of approximately 40 Islamist parties and groups.
...
started demonstrations at multiple places including El-Hossari Mosque, El-Nahda Square, outside Cairo University
Cairo University ( ar, جامعة القاهرة, Jāmi‘a al-Qāhira), also known as the Egyptian University from 1908 to 1940, and King Fuad I University and Fu'ād al-Awwal University from 1940 to 1952, is Egypt's premier public university ...
, outside Al-Rayan Mosque in the posh suburb of Maadi, and in Ain Shams
Ain Shams (also spelled Ayn or Ein - ar, عين شمس, , cop, ⲱⲛ ⲡⲉⲧ ⲫⲣⲏ) is a suburb of Cairo, Egypt. The name means "Eye of the Sun" in Arabic, referring to the fact that Ain Shams is built on top of the ancient city of Hel ...
district. They had started open-ended rallies. The largest protest was planned for 30 June.
Causes
The removal of Morsi from office by the coalition was a result of a coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
following protests, that were instigated by frustration with Morsi's year-long rule in which Egypt faced economic issues, energy shortages, lack of security, and diplomatic crises. Some of the issues that might have caused the protests and lead to the later removal of Morsi include:
* Claims by the National Salvation Front and other opposition organizations that there were irregularities in the 2012 referendum on changes to Egypt's constitution. Various members of the Constituent Assembly including church representatives subsequently withdrew due to their dissatisfaction with the content of the changes.
* Unprecedented economic crises including power, fuel and foreign currency shortages.
* Worsening state security with incidents including the murder of 16 border guards in Sinai, kidnappings and the blowing up of a gas pipeline supplying Israel and Jordan on numerous occasions.
* Egyptian military
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
economic interests. Estimates of the military's share of Egypt's economy range from 5% to 40% and include industries such as mining, real estate, farming and the production of household appliances. The military has long opposed modern economic policies such as privatization that threaten their position in the economy.
* Foreign interference: In 2015 secret audio recordings of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and members of his inner circle were leaked that indicated that during Morsi's presidency the UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
provided funds to the Egyptian Defense Ministry to launch a protest campaign against President Mohamed Morsi and funded the Tamarod
Tamarod ( ar, تـمـرد, tamarrud, "rebellion") was an Egyptian grassroots movement that was founded to register opposition to President Mohamed Morsi and force him to call early presidential elections. The goal was to collect 15 million sig ...
protest movement. The recordings contained other highly controversial contents.
Planning
Leaked tapes from the summer of 2013 that were later verified by J. P. French Associates recorded figures of the Egyptian military, including former General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, suggesting that the Egyptian military was involved in the mass-protests preceding Morsi's ouster. In one of the leaked tapes, the generals are heard discussing rigging the legal case against Morsi, and in another, authorizing the withdrawal of a large sum of money for the army's use from the bank account of Tamarod
Tamarod ( ar, تـمـرد, tamarrud, "rebellion") was an Egyptian grassroots movement that was founded to register opposition to President Mohamed Morsi and force him to call early presidential elections. The goal was to collect 15 million sig ...
, the ostensibly independent grassroots group that was organizing protests against President Morsi. The tapes also suggest high-level collusion between the coup plotters and the Government of the United Arab Emirates
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star.
Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
as the money that was to be transferred from Tamarod's account into the army's account was provided by the UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. The tapes were first released on the Turkish Islamist channel ''Mekameleen'', a fact that the Egyptian government says discredits the tapes as fakes. American officials later confirmed that the United Arab Emirates was indeed providing financial support for the protests against Morsi that preceded the military coup. There is also evidence on the support of the military coup plotters by the Egyptian economic elites. Egypt’s Interior Ministry was seen as most influential in the lead-up to the coup d’état as a revenge for powers lost during the Egyptian revolution of 2011 according to a Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
analysis.
Events
On 28 June, protests against Morsi started to build throughout Egypt including in such cities as Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, Dakahlia
Dakahlia Governorate ( ar, محافظة الدقهلية ', ) is an Egyptian governorate lying northeast of Cairo. Its area is approximately 3,500 km2. Although the capital of the governorate is Mansoura, it got its name from the ancient to ...
, Gharbiya and Aswan
Aswan (, also ; ar, أسوان, ʾAswān ; cop, Ⲥⲟⲩⲁⲛ ) is a city in Southern Egypt, and is the capital of the Aswan Governorate.
Aswan is a busy market and tourist centre located just north of the Aswan Dam on the east bank of the ...
as a "warm up" for the massive protests expected on 30 June that were planned by Tamarod. Pro-Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters started counter demonstrations at the Rabia Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City.
Prior to the protests, Christians, particularly in Upper Egypt, received threats from pro-Morsi protestors, pressuring them not to take part in the protests. Sheikh Essam Abdulamek, a member of parliament's Shura Council, said in an interview on television that Christians should not participate in the protests and warned them "do not sacrifice your children ince the Ince may refer to:
*Ince, Cheshire, a village in Cheshire, UK
*Ince-in-Makerfield in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, UK
*Ince (UK Parliament constituency), a former constituency covering Ince-in-Makerfield
*Ince (ward), an electoral ward covering ...
general Muslim opinion will not be silent about the ousting of the president."
According to information that came out after President Morsi was removed from office, officials claimed that Morsi stopped working at the Egyptian Presidential Palace on 26 June and moved with his family to El-Quba Palace.
On 29 June, Tamarod claimed that it collected more than 22 million signatures from a petition calling for Morsi to step down as president.
On the other hand, the coup was preceded by the reconciliation of military and economic elites who organized shortages of fuel to provoke discontent of general population toward the Morsi administration.
30 June: Anti-Morsi demonstrations
On 30 June, according to unverified military sources, 14 million protesters demonstrated across Egypt against Morsi. The protestors expressed their anger at the Brotherhood, which they accuse of hijacking Egypt's revolution and using electoral victories to monopolize power and impose Islamic law. However, independent observers raised concerns about the wild exaggeration of the number of actual anti-Morsi protestors, with one crowd statistical expert study indicating that a little over than 1 million people protested against Morsi across the whole country. Hundreds of thousands in support of Morsi gathered in Rabaa Square in Cairo and other cities. In Damietta
Damietta ( arz, دمياط ' ; cop, ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲁϯ, Tamiati) is a port city and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt, a former bishopric and present multiple Catholic titular see. It is located at the Damietta branch, an easter ...
, 250 fishing boat sailors demonstrated against Morsi by sailing through the Nile and chanting against him. The president moved that day from Quba Palace to the Republican Guard headquarters, while protesters thought he was at Ittihadeya Palace.
1 July: Deadlines and options
On 1 July, again more than 1 million demonstrators against Morsi gathered in Tahrir Square
Tahrir Square ( ar, ميدان التحرير ', , English language, English: Liberation Square), also known as "Martyr Square", is a major public town square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square has been the location and focus for political dem ...
and outside the presidential palace, while other demonstrations were held in the cities of Alexandria, Port Said
Port Said ( ar, بورسعيد, Būrsaʿīd, ; grc, Πηλούσιον, Pēlousion) is a city that lies in northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal. With an approximate population of 6 ...
and Suez
Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...
. Some police officers wearing their uniforms joined the anti-Morsi protests and chanted: "The police and the people are one." In clashes around the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Mokattam
The Mokattam ( arz, المقطم , also spelled Muqattam), also known as the Mukattam Mountain or Hills, is the name of a range of hills and a suburb in them, located in southeastern Cairo, Egypt.
Etymology
The Arabic name ''Mokattam'' ...
, eight people died. Their headquarters were ransacked and burned while protesters threw objects at windows and looted the building, making off with office equipment and documents. Tamarod gave President Mohamed Morsi until 2 July at 17:00 to resign or face a civil disobedience campaign. That was followed by the Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
issuing a 48-hour ultimatum that gave the country's political parties until 3 July to meet the demands of the Egyptian people. The Egyptian military also threatened to intervene if the dispute was not resolved by then. Four ministers also resigned on the same day: Tourism Minister The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture.
The position exists in many different countries under several names:
*Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania)
* Minist ...
Hisham Zazou
Hisham Zazou ( ar, هشام زعزوع; born 1954) is an Egyptian businessman and politician who is the former Egyptian minister of tourism. He was one of the ministers who are not affiliated with an Islamist party in the Qandil cabinet. Zazou r ...
(who previously offered to resign a few months earlier after Morsi appointed an Islamist member of al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
( ar, الجماعة الإسلامية, "the Islamic Group"; also transliterated El Gama'a El Islamiyya; also called "Islamic Groups" and transliterated Gamaat Islamiya, al Jamaat al Islamiya, is an Egyptian Sunni Islamist movement, and ...
, the group allegedly responsible of the Luxor massacre
The Luxor massacre was the killing of 62 people, mostly tourists, on 17 November 1997, at Deir el-Bahari, an archaeological site and major tourist attraction across the Nile from Luxor, Egypt.
Attack
Deir el-Bahari is one of Egypt's top tour ...
, though the group has denied this charge, as governor of Luxor
Luxor ( ar, الأقصر, al-ʾuqṣur, lit=the palaces) is a modern city in Upper (southern) Egypt which includes the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of ''Thebes''.
Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-a ...
), Communication and IT Minister Atef Helmi
Atef Helmy Nagib ( ar, عاطف حلمي نجيب; born 23 April 1950) is an Egyptian communication and technology expert and the former minister of communications and information technology.
Early life and education
Atef Helmy was born in Ca ...
, State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hatem Bagato Hatem ( ar, حاتم) is a masculine Arabic given name, it may refer to:
Given name
* Hatem Ali, Syrian actor
* Hatem Ben Arfa, French football player of Tunisian descent
* Hatem Aqel, Jordanian footballer
* Hatem Ali Jamadar, Bengali politician ...
, and State Minister for Environmental Affairs Khaled Abdel Aal, leaving the government with only members of the Freedom and Justice Party.
On the same day, it was reported that Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
called Morsi. The call went along the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
' vision that the only option out of the stressed situation would be to call for an early general presidential election in which Morsi is not a candidate. Morsi replied, "the Egyptian people decide," before he closed the line.
2 July: Morsi speech
On 2 July, opponents and supporters of Morsi gathered in the capital, Cairo. The deadline set by the military for Morsi to solve the escalating political problem approached. The military said that they would intervene without eliminating either side, but they betrayed their word by engineering a coup the next day. Helicopters were also present around Cairo with armored vehicles taking up positions. On 3 July, clashes between protestors and local residents erupted around a pro-Morsi rally near Cairo University, leaving 18 people dead. Foreign Minister
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Mohamed Kamel Amr
Mohamed Kamel Amr (Arabic: محمد کامل عمرو, born 1 December 1942) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as Egypt's minister of foreign affairs between 2011 and 2013. He resigned from office on 30 June 2013.
Early life
M ...
also resigned, in support of the anti-government protestors. The presidency rejected the Egyptian Army's 48-hour ultimatum, vowing that the president would pursue his own plans for national reconciliation to resolve the political crisis. Defense Minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...
General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
was also said to have told Morsi that he would impose a military solution if a political one could not be found by the next day. Incidentally, the Court of Cassation
A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case, they only interpret the relevant law. In this they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In th ...
ordered the reinstatement of former general prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud who was replaced with Talaat Abdallah
Talat or Talaat may refer to:
People
*Talat (given name), includes Tallat
*Mehmet Ali Talat (born 1952), President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
*Talat Yaqoob
Geographic designations
*Talat Sao, a morning market in Vientiane, Laos ...
following the constitutional declaration on 22 November 2012. The presidential spokesman and the spokesman for the cabinet resigned as well.
The newspaper '' Al-Ahram'' reported that if there were no political resolution, the military would suspend the constitution of Egypt
The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the fundamental law of Egypt.
The Egyptian Constitution of 2014 was passed in a referendum in January 2014. The constitution took effect after the results were announced on 18 January 2014. A ...
and appoint a new council of experts to draft a new one, institute a three-person executive council, and appoint a prime minister from the military. Morsi's military advisor, Sami Hafez Anan
Lieutenant General Sami Hafez Anan or Enan ( ar, سامى حافظ عنان, ; born 2 February 1948) is an Egyptian military officer. He was the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces from 2005 until August 2012, until his retirement was ...
, also resigned and said that the army would not "abandon the will of the people."
In a late-night television address Morsi declared that he would "defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life." He added that "there is no substitute for legitimacy" as he vowed not to resign. Morsi accused supporters of Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple the government and fight democracy. After Morsi's statement, an official Facebook page of the Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
wrote a post under the title "The Last Hours" saying in response to Morsi: "The Supreme Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
had mentioned before that it's better for us to die rather than seeing the Egyptian People being threatened or horrified, and we swear that we would sacrifice our lives and our blood for Egypt against every terrorist or extremist or ignorant. Long live Egypt."
3 July: Day of Action
As the deadline of the Armed Forces' ultimatum approached on 3 July, there was renewed expectation of an increase in violence, according to the media. As in other days, there were both anti-Morsi and pro-Morsi protests, the latter particularly in Nasr City and near Cairo University. Army tanks were reported to surround two smaller pro-Morsi rallies as the demonstrators vowed to defend the government with their lives.
As the 16:35 deadline set by the army approached, the coalition met with the military leaders for emergency talks, with the expectation that the army would issue a statement when the deadline passed. Mohamed El-Baradei, who was chosen to represent the National Salvation Front, was also said to have met army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
.
That same day, shortly before the deadline, Morsi offered to form a consensus government. An army statement read: "The General Command of the Armed Forces is currently meeting with a number of religious, national, political and youth icons...There will be a statement issued from the General Command as soon as they are done." At the same time the Freedom and Justice Party's senior leader, Waleed al-Haddad, said: "We do not go to invitations (meetings) with anyone. We have a president and that is it."[
At about 17:30, the head of the Republican Guard ]Mohamed Ahmed Zaki
Mohamed Ahmed Zaki Mohamed ( ar, محمد أحمد زكي محمد; born 29 January 1956) is an Egyptian colonel general who has been minister of defense of Egypt since 14 June 2018. Zaki previously held the command for the Egyptian Paratrooper ...
, joined Morsi with some of the Republican Guard officers and conducted the arrest. It was reported from Morsi's assistant Yahya Hamed the flow of conversation took place as Morsi saying "Mohammed (the head of the of Republican Guard) you know well you are going to be tried for that." And Mohammed Zaki replying: "I know, however I had already told them I don't want in, because of my special good relations with the president."
3 July military coup
On 3 July, General Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi, Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, announced that there would be new presidential and Shura Council elections. The coalition appointed Chief Justice Adly Mansour
Adly Mahmoud Mansour ( ar, عدلى محمود منصور ; born 23 December 1945) is an Egyptian judge and politician who served as the president (or chief justice) of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt. He also served as interim ...
as the interim president and charged him with forming a transitional technocratic
Technocracy is a form of government in which the decision-maker or makers are selected based on their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts wi ...
government. Military vehicles drove throughout Cairo. Morsi was put under house arrest,[ and was believed to be at the ]Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
barracks. According to other sources he was taken to a military base and his travel was restricted. Army troops and tanks were reported to have surrounded key facilities and installations. At noon, the Republican Guard, who had Morsi in their care, left his side to allow Army commandos to take him to an undisclosed Ministry of Defence building. He offered no resistance.
General al-Sisi said: "The president's speech last night failed to meet and conform with the demands f the people, prompting the armed forces to consult
F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''.
His ...
with some of the symbols of the national forces and the youths without excluding anyone. hey agreed on a road mapthat includes initial steps that realize the building of a strong and coherent Egyptian society that does not exclude any of its sons and currents and that ends the state of conflict and division." He added the army was standing apart from the political process but was using its vision as the Egyptian people were calling for help and discharged its responsibility. Al-Sisi named former Chief Justice Adli Mansour as the interim president and added that he would be sworn in on 4 July. The Shura Council was also dissolved.
Morsi condemned his removal as a "full coup" by the general. He also urged everyone to "adhere to peacefulness and avoid shedding blood of fellow countrymen."
The Office of Assistant to President of Egypt on Foreign Relations called Morsi's removal a "military coup", and said "there is no democracy without the ballot box".
The announcement of the removal of Morsi was met with cheers in Tahrir Square. Anti-Morsi protesters shouted "Allahu akbar
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", a ...
" and "Long live Egypt" and launched fireworks[ as green laser lights held by those in the crowd lit the sky. Mohamed el-Baradei says the coup was to rectify the issues of the revolution. The ]Coptic Pope
The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ, translit=Papa; ar, البابا, translit=al-Bābā), also known as the Bishop of Alexandria, is the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, with ancient Christian roots in Egypt. The ...
Tawadros II
Pope Tawadros II or Theodore II ( cop, Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ Ⲁⲃⲃⲁ Ⲑⲉⲟ́ⲇⲱⲣⲟⲥ ⲡⲓⲙⲁϩ ⲃ̅', translit=Papa Abba Theódōros II ; ar, البابا تواضروس الثاني, translit=al-Bābā Tawāḍurūs al-Th ānī, ...
, Grand Imam of al-Azhar The Grand Imam of al-Azhar ( ar, الإمام الأكبر), also known as Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar ( ar, links=no, شيخ الأزهر الشريف), currently Ahmed el-Tayeb, is a prestigious and a prominent official title in Egypt. He is conside ...
Ahmed el-Tayeb, Mohamed ElBaradei
Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei ( ar, محمد مصطفى البرادعي, Muḥammad Muṣṭafá al-Barādaʿī, ; born 17 June 1942) is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who served as the vice president of Egypt on an interim basis from 14 July ...
and some of the youth leaders of Tamarod
Tamarod ( ar, تـمـرد, tamarrud, "rebellion") was an Egyptian grassroots movement that was founded to register opposition to President Mohamed Morsi and force him to call early presidential elections. The goal was to collect 15 million sig ...
, Mahmoud Badr
Mahmoud Badr ( ar, محمود بدر, links=no; born 1985) is an Egyptian activist and journalist. He co-founded the Tamarod ("Rebel") movement and serves as its official spokesman and one of its principal leaders.Hussein, DinaTamarod: The Organiza ...
and Mohamed Abdelaziz, spoke in support of the military intervention. The al-Nour party
)
, foundation =
, newspaper = The New Light
, headquarters = 601 Horrya Way, Zezenia, Alexandria
, ideology = SalafismIslamismWahhabismMadkhalism
, position = Far-right
, colours = Blue, red, wh ...
also commented in saying that the events occurred as they were not heard in their call for dialogue. Party Secretary-General Galal Murra commented that: "we took this position (on agreeing to the army political road map) and we took these decisions only so we stop the bloodshed of our people." Pro-Morsi protesters heard a statement from Morsi, which was published on his Facebook page. He called the move a "coup" and rejected the Armed Forces' statement.
The Freedom and Justice Party's Gamal Heshmat said: "There is absolutely no direction towards violence. The Brotherhood are not raised on violence. Their cause is a peaceful one, defending their rights, which is stronger than a "military coup". The army has perpetrated a "shameful coup". We are still in the street, we still don't know if all of the armed forces will accept what Sisi has done." A party spokesman said that what started as a military coup was "turning into something much more." The National Salvation Front, an alliance of multiple political parties, stated on 4 July that "what Egypt is witnessing now is not a military coup by any standards. It was a necessary decision that the Armed Forces' leadership took to protect democracy, maintain the country's unity and integrity, restore stability and get back on track towards achieving the goals of the 25 January Revolution."
Arrests
According to Morsi, he was abducted by the Armed Forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and held at the Republican Guard
A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...
headquarters one day before the army announced his removal, and held there until 5 July 2013, after which he and his aide were forcibly moved to a naval base for the next four months. His family had stated earlier Morsi was kidnapped on 3 July 2013. The spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces
The Egyptian Armed Forces ( arz, القُوّات المُسَلَّحَة المِصْرِيَّة, alquwwat almusalahat almisria) are the military forces of the Arab Republic of Egypt. They consist of the Egyptian Army, Egyptian Navy, Egyptia ...
, Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Ahmed Ali later denied allegations that Morsi was badly treated, saying they had nothing to hide. The Egyptian Army later gave Catherine Ashton the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
permission to meet Morsi. Ashton later stated that Morsi was doing well: "Morsi was keeping up with the latest developments in the country through television and newspapers. So we were able to talk about the situation, and we were able to talk about the need to move forward. The people around him do care for him. I looked at the facilities." Morsi later met an African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...
delegation also.
The army arrested the former speaker of parliament and the head of Freedom and Justice Party Saad El-Katatni
Saad El-Katatni ( ar, سعد الكتاتني, alternatively spelled ''El-Katatny'' or ''Al-Katatni''; born 4 March 1952) is an Egyptian Islamist politician who has been the chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) since October 2012. F ...
, along with Rashad al-Bayoumi
Rashad al-Bayumi ( ar, رشاد البيومى), (often transliterated as "al-Bayoumi") is one of the leaders of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, his appointment pending approval by the Islamist organization's guidance bureau.
Al-Bayumi, a Cairo U ...
, a Muslim Brotherhood deputy, as well as other top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. ''Al-Jazeera'' quoted unnamed security officials saying that "more than a dozen" members of the Muslim Brotherhood had been arrested, while '' Al-Ahram'' reported that the Egyptian police had been ordered to arrest more than 300 members of the Muslim Brotherhood. A travel ban was also put on Morsi, the head of his Muslim Brotherhood Mohammed Badie
Mohammed Badie ( ar, محمد بديع ', ; born 7 August 1943) is the eighth Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.
He has headed the Egyptian branch of the international Muslim Brotherhood organization since 2010. Before becoming general gu ...
, Badie's deputy Khairat El-Shater, the Muslim Brotherhood's former leader Mahdi Akef
Mohammed Mahdi Akef ( ar, محمد مهدي عاكف; July 12, 1928 – September 22, 2017) was the head of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egypt-based Islamic political movement, from 2004 until 2010. He assumed the post, that of "general guide" ( ar ...
, another Muslim Brotherhood figure Mohamed Beltagy, Salafi preacher close to the Muslim Brotherhood Safwat Hegazi and the leader of the al-Wasat Party
The al-Wasat Party ( ar-at, حزب الوسط, Hizb al-Wasat), translated in English as the Center Party, is a moderate Islamist political party in Egypt.
The party withdrew from the Anti-Coup Alliance on 28 August 2014. A court case was broug ...
Abou Elela Mady
Abou Elela Mady () (born 3 April 1958) is an Egyptian engineer and politician. He is the chairman of the Wasat Party and a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was released from detention on 13 August 2015, 2 years after being arrested.
...
and his deputy Essam Sultan. Badie and Akef were arrested for "incitement to murder."
In December 2013, Morsi as well as high-echelon Muslim Brotherhood leaders were charged with "terrorism and plotting with foreign militants against Egypt" while the Muslim Brotherhood was officially classified as a terrorist group.
By May 2014, approximately 16,000 people, mostly Brotherhood members or supporters, have been imprisoned since the coup.
Media restrictions and violence against journalists
Police and military forces made statements against four television channels and took them off the air.[ Misr 25, a channel owned by the Muslim Brotherhood, was shut down and officials said that journalists working for the channel were arrested.] The Al Hafez
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
and Al Nas
Al-Nās or Mankind ( ar, الناس, ''an-nās'') is the 114th and last chapter (''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. It is a short six- verse invocation.
: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
: The Sovereign of mankind.
: The God of manki ...
channels were shut down as well. A few hours later, ''Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
'''s '' Mubasher Misr'', which had been criticized for its alleged pro-Morsi slant, was also taken off the air, its offices raided and its employees detained. Five staff were arrested, including managing director Ayman Gaballah, who was still in custody after the others were released. It was also prevented from broadcasting a pro-Morsi rally in northern Cairo. ''Associated Press Television News
{{About, the global video news agency, TVRI television programme, Dunia Dalam Berita, the airlines of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, the Indonesian public television, TVRI
Associated Press Television News, also referred to as AP Video and often abbr ...
'' was ordered not to provide ''Al Jazeera'' with footage of protests in the country or with any filming equipment, while the '' Cairo News Company'' was warned against providing broadcasting equipment. Al Jazeera Media Network's acting Director General Mostafa Souag condemned the move, saying "regardless of political views, the Egyptian people expect media freedoms to be respected and upheld. Media offices should not be subject to raids and intimidation. Journalists should not be detained for doing their jobs."
The Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journ ...
(CPJ) reported that two journalists and one student were killed while covering Egyptian unrest in the two weeks leading up to 8 July 2013. According to CPJ research, before those deaths only four journalists had been killed in Egypt since 1992.[ One of the journalists killed while documenting the 2013 clashes was 26-year-old photographer Ahmed Assem el-Senousy, also known as Ahmed Samir Assem.] The photographer was shot by a sniper after he recorded security forces firing on protestors.[ According to media reports, el-Senousy may have captured his own death on film. A video clip posted on his Facebook page shows a sniper firing on crowds before turning toward the camera, at which point the clip abruptly ends.][
While reporting for the ]BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
was hit in the head with birdshot fired by Egyptian security forces on 5 July.