Ousted former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi stands in a cage in a courthouse on the first day of his trial, in Cairo, in this still image taken from video provided by Egypt's Interior Ministry on November 4, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)
The family of ousted president Mohamed Morsi visited the former leader on Thursday at the Burg Al-Arab prison where he is currently detained, a security official told Egypt's state news agency MENA.
The family visit was the first since Morsi was ousted in July amidst mass protests against his rule. Up until his first appearance in court on Monday, Morsi was detained incommunicado in an undisclosed location, speaking to his family at least once during that time over the phone.
Morsi was transferred to a maximum security prison in a remote desert area near Alexandria, Egypt's second city, after his first trial session was adjourned to 8 January. Along with 14 other Islamist leaders, he is accused of inciting violence against demonstrators in the December 2012 Ittihadiya presidential palace clashes.
Mohamed El-Damati, the spokesman of the Islamist leaders' legal defence team, told Ahram Online that a delegation of lawyers will visit the ousted president next week.
On Thursday, the official said Morsi's family visit was part of an exceptional visit authorisation extended by interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim to all detainees on the occasion of the Islamic New Year, celebrated Tuesday.
Morsi's wife, his daughter, and his three sons visited the ousted leader and brought him two bags of food, according to the official. He added that Morsi was still detained in the prison's medical unit and that he will be transferred to his cell in the coming days.
Earlier this week, security officials told AP that Morsi spent his first night at Burg Al-Arab prison in a hospital room after he complained of high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
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