Son of former Egyptian president Morsi 'dies of heart attack' at 24

The youngest son of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has died after suffering a heart attack in Cairo, according to his family.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

05 September, 2019

Abdullah Morsi had accused Egyptian officials of killing his father [Getty]

The youngest son of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi died on Wednesday from a reported heart attack, a family lawyer told Reuters.

Abdullah Morsi, 24, began to feel spasms while driving in Cairo and died shortly afterward, his brother Ahmed said.

Abdullah's sudden passing follows that of his father, who collapsed while on trial in Cairo in June. In the aftermath of his father's death, Abdullah accused several top Egyptian officials, including Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq, Majdi Abdel Ghaffar and judge Mohamed Shereen Fahmy of being "accomplices" in the elder Morsi's "assassination".

Mohammed Morsi, 67, was elected president in 2012 in the country's first free elections following the ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

A military coup toppled Morsi in 2013 after massive protests. The military, led by then-defence minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, crushed the Brotherhood in a major crackdown and arrested Morsi and many of the group's leaders.

Rights groups accuse the Egyptian authorities of keeping Morsi in inhumane conditions in prison and refusing him treatment for diabetes.

The former president was held in solitary confinement for most of his six years in prison, which amounts to torture under international standards.