Egypt's ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi reportedly requested permission to receive outside food, according to reports from Egypt's state-run MENA news agency.

The Associated Press quoted MENA reports saying that Morsi had described the prison food as "a crime committed against his rights" at a court hearing on Saturday.

Hypoglycemia and diabetes

Qatar-based news channel Al Jazeera backed up the report, quoting Morsi's son Osama saying his father had suspected that his food had been tampered with, leading him to fear for his life. He added that Morsi suffered from hypoglycemia (low levels of blood sugar).

The MENA news agency said that the former president was diabetic, which could lead to health issues with his blood sugar levels. Morsi has reportedly also requested to meet with a medical team.

Morsi, former leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, and Egypt's first democratically elected president, was overthrown by the military in 2013.

He has been sentenced to death following charges of inciting deadly violence, espionage, and aiding a prison break during the 2011 revolution. The current Egyptian government under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Morsi's former defense minister and head of the army, has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.

ss/bk (AP, MENA)