Egypt: UN office tries to politicize Morsi's courtroom death

Supporters join Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attends funeral prayers in absentia for ousted former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, in poster, at Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Funeral prayers were held in mosques across Turkey for Morsi, who had close ties to Erdogan. The former president, who was ousted by current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in a military coup in 2013, collapsed in a courtroom in Egypt during trial on Monday and died. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Supporters join Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, image seen on flag, who attends funeral prayers in absentia for ousted former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, at Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 18, 2019. Funeral prayers were held in mosques across Turkey for Morsi, who had close ties to Erdogan. The former president, who was ousted by current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in a military coup in 2013, collapsed in a courtroom in Egypt during trial on Monday and died. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

CAIRO – Egypt says the U.N. human rights office is trying to politicize the death of former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who collapsed inside a Cairo courtroom during his trial this week.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez on Wednesday denounced as unacceptable comments by Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, who called for a "prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigation" into Morsi's death on Monday.

Hafez says Colville's "politicized and immature" remarks match those from a county exploiting Morsi's death for political purposes — a likely reference to Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had close ties with Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement, has said he doesn't believe Morsi died of natural causes.

Morsi, who hailed from the now outlawed Brotherhood, was buried on Tuesday.