PHOTO: Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in a cage for defendants, June 18, 2016 (Amr Nabil/AP)

Mohammed Morsi, President of Egypt from 2012 to 2013, was given a third life sentence in prison on Saturday.

Morsi, who was overthrown by a military coup in July 2013, was given the life term for leading the Muslim Brotherhood. He was also handed a 15-year sentence for stealing Egyptian state security documents.

The former President was acquitted of supplying classified documents to Qatar. However, the court in Cairo sentenced six others to death for the alleged espionage.

Those condemned included three journalists tried in absentia — Ibrahim Hilal and Jordanian citizen Alaa Sablan worked for Al Jazeera and Asmaa Al Khatib is a reporter with the pro-Brotherhood news outlet Rassd. Those present for the sentence were documentary producer Ahmed Abdo, EgyptAir cabin crew member Mohamed Kilani, and Ahmed Thabet, a university teaching assistant.

Prosecutors said Morsi and his aides leaked sensitive documents to Qatari intelligence, exposing the location of weapons held by the Egyptian armed forces.

All those convicted can appeal, provided they appear in person.

Morsi was also sentenced to death last year in connection with prison breaks and attacks on police stations during the 2011 Revolution that removed President Hosni Mubarak from power. He is appealing against the verdict, but he has been condemned to life in prison for espionage on behalf of Iran and other countries, as well as 20 years for clashes outside his Presidential Palace in December 2012 in which up to 10 people died.

The ex-President was arrested on 28 January 2011. Two days later, he was among 25 leading Brotherhood members who escaped from the prison north of Cairo.

Morsi was one of the Brotherhood leaders who were jailed during the 18-day uprising, and escaped with thousands of inmates who broke out of prison.

The Brotherhood was banned in Egypt for almost all of the period from 1948 to 2011. After the 2013 coup, the ban was re-imposed and thousands of members, including most of the leadership, were detained. Scores were sentenced to death, although the punishments were suspended on appeal.