Egypt leak: Interior ministry aided 2013 anti-Morsi protests

A new leaked audio recording allegedly of Egypt's interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, appears to shed more light on the role that the country's police and security institutions played in the military's overthrow of elected president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July, 2013.

The leak, which was aired by Al Jazeera Arabic satellite channel, is reportedly of Ibrahim addressing a number of police officials at the end of last year, informing them that the security apparatus had helped increase the turnout of the anti-Morsi demonstrations at the end of June, 2013.

Ibrahim, who was appointed as interior minister by Morsi and had kept his cabinet post following the coup, informed his audience that he had been against the Muslim Brotherhood but could not publically announce that at the time.

However, Ibrahim added, security officials were made aware of his anti-Morsi instructions, before the army – then led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi – decided to overthrow the president who hails from the now banned Brotherhood.

In the leaks, Ibrahim is also heard authorising the use of automatic weapons in the face of protesters, if there was a need, warning that demonstrators must not be allowed to gather in large numbers.   

The minister also reportedly spoke about compensating police officers whose cars are burnt during anti-government riots, saying that his ministry has spent $1.3 million in that regard.