- Other Opinions
- September 3, 2008
- 7 minutes read
In Focus: The Dilemma of Egypt’s Liberals

“The court postponed the two hearings to Sept. 28 as the government did not respond to neither El-Shater”s nor the 18 members” requests,” said Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, MB lawyer representing El-Shater and the 18 MB members.
According to Abdel Maqsoud, the court cannot issue a verdict in both cases until the government responds by either approving or rejecting the members” request.
The detainees” request comes after President Hosni Mubarak issued a pardon releasing political prisoners who had served half their jail term on July 23, marking the 55th anniversary of the July 23 Revolution.
While several political prisoners were pardoned, prisoners affiliated with the MB as well as former presidential candidate Ayman Nour were not as lucky, according to Abdel Maqsoud.
In related news, in the Delta city of
“The situation is really bad in Mansoura, police officials are continuing to detain more and more members of the group even during the holy month of Ramadan,” Abdel Maqsoud said.
Khalil Al-Ananiis an expert on political Islam and Democratization in the