Cessation Court reviews military tribunal detainees’ appeals

Hearing will be resumed Tuesday November 3, of the appeals filed by Eng. Khayrat el-Shater and his companions who are currently serving harsh sentences. The vice-deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood movement was tried by military tribunal in unjust conditions and sentenced in April, 2008 along with 25 other highly ranked leaders both within Egypt and abroad in the renowned case no. 2 of 2007. Sentences ranged between 3-10 years and 10 other members were acquitted.

The Cairo court of Cessation began its hearing last week where a prominent defense team argued the case attributing their defense to the unjust measures practiced against the detainees including  a presidential referral to military court, defiance of the chartered constitution, and inconsistency in reviewing documented archives.

Defense lawyer for the MB Abdul Monem Abdul Maqsoud doubts that much headway will be achieved in today’s hearing stressing that “it’s about time that this charade be over, the MB have been targeted enough and it is imperative that justice prevail”. He continued that “It is all too clear that the regime is using double standards at this time with the referring of irresponsible Ministers and high ranking individuals who have placed the lives of innocent citizens in danger with negligence such as the Salam ferry, the selling of wheat unfit for human consumption and the most recent Ayat train accident to conventional court hearings while referring ordinary innocent citizens to military tribunals“.

On a related note release orders were issued to leaders of the MB who were arrested last August including:

 Sayed Nazeely

Hamdy Ibrahim

 Karem Radwan.

Detentions were extended however for:

 Dr Mohyee el-Din Al-Zayet

 Dr Hesham Esa

Ayman Hodhod,

Dr Maged Fatouh

 Ismail Selim.