EU Official Demands Morsi’s Release from Custody
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AFP/Getty Images(CAIRO) — As thousands of Egyptians demonstrated Wednesday for the release of former President Mohamed Morsi, they received a boost from European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
On a visit to Cairo, Ashton met with officials from Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood party, telling reporters afterward, “I believe he should be released. I was assured he is well. I would have liked to see him.”
However, Brotherhood leader Amr Darrag appeared pessimistic about immediate freedom for the former president, who has been in custody since the military removed Morsi from power two weeks ago.
There has been talk that Ashton might arrange for the EU to act as mediator to help ease tensions between the interim government and the Muslim Brotherhood even as Darrag remarked, “We are not expecting support from anybody. We are relying only on ourselves.”
Meanwhile, in what was termed a “day of steadfastness,” thousands settled outside the headquarters of the new interim president to call for Morsi’s release and protest the formation of the new Cabinet, which excludes members of the Brotherhood.
The demonstration, while impassioned, did not descend into violence as a large force of riot police kept matters in hand.
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