Erdogan Casts Doubt on Egypt's Explanation of Mursi's Death

(Bloomberg) -- Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan cast doubt on the official explanation for the death of former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, comments sure to deepen a years-long feud with the North African nation.

“I don’t believe this is a natural death,” Erdogan said in Istanbul during funeral prayers for Mursi, the 67-year-old Muslim Brotherhood leader who was Egypt’s first freely-elected president until his 2013 overthrow by his army chief.

“Mursi marched to God during the hearing,” he said in televised comments. “Of course, it’s thought provoking whether this was a normal march or were there some other situations here.”

Mursi, a one-time ally of Erdogan, died on Monday during a Cairo court hearing. Egyptian state media attributed the cause to a heart attack. But human rights groups suggested he wasn’t receiving proper medical treatment as he languished in jail since his ouster. Amnesty International said Mursi was held in solitary confinement for almost six years.

Erdogan’s comments came as the United Nations’ rights body joined Amnesty in calling for an independent probe into Mursi’s death.

“The state is responsible for ensuring he was treated humanely and that his right to life and health were respected,” said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“Any sudden death in custody must be followed by a prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation carried out by an independent body,” he said.

All central mosques across Turkey held prayers-in-absentia for the former Islamist leader, who was buried shortly after his death in a private service in Cairo. The services were held at the order of the state-run Directorate of Religious Affairs.

Erdogan, who espouses a form of political Islam similar to the Brotherhood, was one of the harshest critics of Mursi’s ouster.

A U.S.-trained rocket scientist, Mursi was narrowly elected president in 2012, roughly a year after his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, was toppled in a mass uprising as revolts swept the Arab world.

After his overthrow, he languished in prison, facing a slew of charges including providing state secrets to a foreign power. His supporters say the trials were politically-motivated.

To contact the reporter on this story: Taylan Bilgic in Istanbul at tbilgic2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net

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