A commemoration event was organized Saturday by Egyptians living in New York and New Jersey for the country's first democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi, who died from a reported heart attack last week in a court session.
The event was held in LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel in New York by a human rights organization and saw participation by prominent figures of the Turkish, Palestinian and Syrian community along with Egyptians.
The speakers emphasized Morsi's struggle for the democracy in Egypt, calling for maintaining the legacy of the country's first democratically elected president. Representatives of the Turkish community said in the event that they will always stand with the Egyptians and shared their condolences for Morsi's death.
Morsi was elected president in 2012 but was ousted in a military coup a year later. The military crushed the Muslim Brotherhood movement in a major crackdown, arresting Morsi and many others of the group's leaders, who have been in prison undergoing multiple trials ever since the coup.
He reportedly died from a heart attack last Monday during a court session. The country's state television reported early Tuesday that Morsi was "suffering from a benign tumor, had continuous medical attention and his death was caused by a heart attack." Amnesty International and other rights groups have called for a fair, transparent and comprehensive investigation into Morsi's death and raised questions about his treatment in prison. Egypt's government has dismissed accusations that he was badly treated.
