Egypt investigates ex-Qatari PM’s involvement in espionage case

CAIRO – 20 September 2017: The Court of Cassation has referred the espionage case with Qatar to the public prosecutor to investigate the involvement of the former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim and Chairman of Al-Jazeera after a verdict was reached in the case of former President Mohamed Morsi conspiring with Qatar, according to judiciary sources.

Jassim and the Chairman of Al-Jazeera are accused of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, disclosing the military’s state secrets, and leaking national security documents to Qatar with the intention of damaging Egypt's military, political, diplomatic, and economic status and its national interests. The court has listened to the witnesses and discussed the lawsuit papers, concluding Jassim’s involvement in the case.

If these charges were proven, they would be sentenced in absentia for life imprisonment, according to Egyptian legislation regarding conspiracy cases.

After the court issues a verdict, Egypt has the right to inform the international Interpol to add his name to the red wanted list. Additionally, passport control would be informed to put them in the watch list in case if they arrive to Egyptian ports.

Morsi and other defendants were sentenced for life imprisonment for the intention of handing over confidential defense documents to a foreign country on Saturday.

They also stole documents issued by Egypt’s general intelligence, military forces, national security sector, and the administrative control authority, which contain information and data relating to armed forces, their concentrated spots and the internal and foreign affairs policies of the state, according to investigations conducted by the Supreme State Security Prosecution supervised by counselors Tamer Fergani and Khaled Diaa El Din.

The investigations confirmed that the defendants agreed with a programmer of Al-Jazeera channel, the head of the news section of Al-Jazeera, and an officer of the Qatari intelligence service to provide them reports and documents favoring Qatar in exchange for $1.5 million with the intention of destabilizing Egypt.