Egypt charges ousted former president Mursi with passing state secrets to Qatar

Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, charged along with 130 others of plotting attacks and escaping from prison in 2011, sits inside the defendant’s cage during his trial at the police academy in Cairo on Aug 18, 2014. An Egyptian
Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, charged along with 130 others of plotting attacks and escaping from prison in 2011, sits inside the defendant’s cage during his trial at the police academy in Cairo on Aug 18, 2014. An Egyptian prosecutor charged the ousted former president and several of his aides on Saturday, Sept 6, 2014, with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar. -- PHOTO: AFP

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian prosecutor charged ousted president Mohamed Mursi and several of his aides on Saturday with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar.

Relations between Qatar, a Gulf Arab state, and Egypt have been tense since mid-2013, when then army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi toppled Mursi after mass protests against his rule.

Qatar had supported Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood.

Security sources said last month that Egypt was investigating Mursi in connection with documents they said were leaked to Qatar and its Al-Jazeera news channel.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.