Hamas has responded to a decision to arrest ousted President Mohamed Morsy pending investigations into charges of espionage, claiming the move represents a "political decision ahead of [it] being a judicial one."
Hamas officials meawhile criticised the arrest order as an attempt to appease the U.S. and Israel by involving the Islamic movement in events it has no links to.
Hamas said on Friday that Egyptian authorities “are evading national issues and the Palestinian cause.”
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP in response to the announcement the organization "condemns such a stance because it assumes that [Hamas] is an enemy."
"It’s a dangerous development that assures that authorities in Egypt evade national issues and join other parties to offend them, including the Palestinian cause,” he told AFP.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) vice-chief Essam al-Erian meanwhile commented on Friday the decision to arrest Mohamed Morsy had been taken at a "strange time."
"[It] clarifies the nature of the military fascist regime, who wanted to get out of an impasse that it got itself embroiled in," Erian claimed, citing Morsy as the "legitimate president" of Egypt.
“Issuing the decision to sentence the legitimate president, who enjoys immunity and cannot be brought to trial without constitutional procedures, has been taken at strange time."
Eriam claimed the decision had been taken without Morsy's lawyer in attendance, as well as an "absence of simple concepts of the state of law," the FJP leader posted on Facebook.
The pro-Morsy camp would respond with "peaceful mass rallies,” he said, adding that “our strength is in being peaceful."
"Our unity as people against fascism, tyranny, injustice and corruption are the secret of our victory against coup."
Ousted President Mohamed Morsy has been held incommunicado at an undisclosed location since he was overthrown in a military-led coup on 3 July.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
