Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, has met Egypt’s deposed president Mohamed Morsi, his first known contact with the outside world since he was toppled by the army earlier this month. Ashton held two hours of “in depth” discussions with Morsi on Monday, her spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said on Twitter. No further details were available about where the meeting took place, or what they discussed. Morsi has been held incommunicado since the military removed him from power on July 3. Egypt’s authorities say he is being investigated for charges including murder, stemming from a 2011 jailbreak when he escaped detention during the revolution that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. The political turmoil has divided Egypt, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets in rival rallies for and against military rule. Tension increased further after scores were killed at a rally in support of Morsi in Cairo on Saturday. Protesters warned Monday’s meeting with Ashton came as Morsi’s supporters marched towards security headquarters in Cairo, despite a warning from the National Defence Council that it would take “decisive and firm action” against demonstrators if they went beyond their right to peaceful protest. The marches began after backers of Morsi broke their Ramadan fast. Groups moved from their key sit-in site by the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo towards the interior ministry and two other security forces buildings. Spotlight Follow our ongoing coverage of the political crisis in Egypt Thousands of demonstrators, men and women, chanted slogans against army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Earlier, the Anti-Coup Alliance of groups protesting against Morsi’s removal also called for a massive turnout for demonstrations on Tuesday. They urged Egyptians “to go out into the streets and squares, to regain their freedom and dignity – that are being usurped by the bloody coup – and for the rights of the martyrs assassinated by its bullets”. Ashton also met el-Sisi, interim president Adly Mansour, and vice president for international affairs Mohamed ElBaradei, and representatives of the pro-Morsi coalition. “There were no initiatives presented by Ashton or us, she just heard updates on the situation since her last visit,” said Mohamed Ali Bishr, a pro-Morsi delegation member. The bloodshed in the Arab world’s most populous nation has sparked mounting international concern, and Washington on Monday “strongly” condemned the violence. A group of Egyptian NGOs issued a statement on Monday calling for Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim to be sacked for what it called Saturday’s “massacre”. A crackdown on Morsi supporters continued on Monday, with the arrest of the president and vice president of the moderate Islamist Wasat party, which has protested against Morsi’s removal.
Jul302013