Senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam al-Erian has attacked remarks by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, after he said the overthrow of Mohamed Morsy was an attempt at "restoring democracy" by Egypt's army.
"The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descent into chaos, into violence," Kerry said in statements to media in Pakistan, marking a remarkabe shift in the U.S. stance on developments in Egypt.
Morsy's Islamist supporters insist the 3 July overthrow represented a military coup against an elected and legitimate president.
Erian, vice chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, told London-based al-Hayat newspaper on Saturday that Kerry’s statements further harm America's standing in Egypt.
Erian flatly rejected Kerry's statements, expressing hopes that he would consider them.
The FJP leader also criticized the European Union (EU), accusing it of joining U.S. officials in piling "immoral pressures" on the Muslim Brotherhood.
The EU has promoted the agenda of the coup, Erian claimed.
Asked about proposals by EU officials during a recent visit to Cairo by foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Erian said there could be no resolution to the crisis without the restoration of presidential legitimacy and Morsy's 2012 constitution.
Al-Hayat meanwhile quoted an Egyptian official as saying the sole purpose of foreign delegates' visits to Egypt is to avoid further bloodshed.
Edited translation from DPA
