Reuters More: Reuters Reuters World Merkel tells Egypt's Sisi: death penalty is wrong but let's trade

Germany opposes Egypt's use of the death penalty, recently imposed on Islamist leaders including former President Mohamed Mursi, but is ready to do business with Cairo, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

She was speaking at a joint news conference with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi which ended with a protester shouting out "he is a murderer!".

Sisi's first official visit to Germany has proved controversial, with Bundestag President Norbert Lammert announcing last month that he would not meet the former army chief, citing "an unbelievable number of death sentences".

Egyptian authorities have cracked down hard on opponents including the Muslim Brotherhood and secular and liberal groups since Sisi toppled elected Islamist president Mursi in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.