European Union's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. Photo: wiki commons.

Deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi refused a reconciliation offer from European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, which included a “safe exit” plan, according to an Islamist political ally of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s Ahram Online reported.

The comments were made by Khaled El-Sherif, media advisor of Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, the Building and Development Party, which was a close political ally of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, who was removed in a popularly-backed Army coup earlier this month.

During her visit to Cairo, Ashton met with Morsi, who is being held at an undisclosed location by the Army, on vague charges related to his role in his own prison break in 2011.

According to Ahram Online, El-Sherif said that Ashton offered Morsi and his party freedom from prosecution and jail in exchange for an end to the marches and protests by Morsi supporters.

Ashton was in Cairo to help reach a settlement between Egypt’s political forces. “We were able to talk about the need to move forward,” she said at a press conference regarding her discussion with Morsi, who, she said, appeared healthy while in captivity.

According to Ahram Online, the Building and Development Party is supporting Islamist Mohamed Selim El-Awa and prime minister under Morsi, Hicham Qandil, who have proposed that the deposed leader, who they feel is still the only elected president of Egypt, should delegate his powers to the cabinet and then initiate parliamentary and presidential elections. Their opponents do not want Morsi involved in the government, in any capacity.