Egypt Court Frees 15 Members of Muslim Brotherhood
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| The
Muslim Brotherhood calls for the establishment of an Islamic
state, but rejects the use of violence. |
CAIRO,
August 5 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - An Egyptian court on
Sunday, August 4 freed 15 members of the Muslim Brotherhood who have
served most of their prison sentences, including a senior member, a
former MP and several university professors, legal sources said.
“This
group, which includes university professors and a former deputy, is part
of the elite of Egyptian society,” administrative court judge Farouk
Abdel Bar was quoted by the sources as saying at the hearing, Agence
France-Presse (AFP) reported.
“The
freeing of a convict is a right if they have served the majority of
their prison sentences and have demonstrated good conduct,” the judge
was quoted as saying.
“The
fact they were condemned by the high military court does not mean they
are a danger to society,” he said in ordering the interior ministry to
release them from prison.
The
15, including an important figure in the Muslim Brotherhood movement,
lawyer Mokhtar Nouh, were sentenced in November 2000 to terms of between
three and five years for “belonging to an illegal organization”.
Under
Egyptian law, the interior minister can release prisoners early because
of good behavior. But political prisoners have never previously been
granted this right, instead being forced to serve their full sentences.
Lawyer
Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud said the decision concerning the 15 Muslim
Brotherhood members could create an example for future cases involving
political prisoners.
Abdel
Maksoud said, “This is the first time a verdict of an (administrative)
court grants those accused in political cases the right to be treated
like regular prisoners,” Jordan Times reported.
Despite
the verdict, the 15 have not yet been released, as the interior ministry
is expected to appeal the decision. If its bid fails, the ministry can
appeal again to a higher court.
They
made a collective request to the interior minister in February to be
freed because they had served the bulk of their sentences.
On
Tuesday, July 30, 16 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were sentenced by
a military court to between three and five years in jail for trying to
revive the movement in order to seize power.
The
verdict, it said, was issued after “the security services unleashed a
vast campaign of arrests to silence voices supporting the Palestinian
cause, rejecting the American policy against Arabs and Muslims...”
The
Muslim Brotherhood is the oldest Islamist group in Egypt and calls for
the establishment of an Islamic state, but rejects the use of violence.
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