- ActivitesHuman RightsMB NewsMilitary TribunalPrisoners of Conscience
- April 15, 2009
- 4 minutes read
One Year Since the Despotic Military Sentences
Today, April 15, 2009, marks the one year mark since the military sentences issued against 40 MB leaders despite their being civilians who pleaded innocent to the same charges pressed against them martially in the natural civil judicature except that the nature of differences between the Egyptian regime and the MB makes military trials the best method, in the eyes of the Egyptian regime, for eliminating the biggest Egyptian opposition force.
After 70 closed sessions which media and human rights organizations were prevented from attending and which continued for a year and a half revealing the falseness of the charges pressed against the MB leaders, 25 of the MB leaders were sentenced to prison for terms ranging from 3-10 years, including Khayrat El-Shater, Second Vice-Chair of the MB, who received seven years as well as businessman Hasan Malek. Five MB leaders living abroad including Yusuf Nada were sentenced to 10 years and five others received five years while 12 others received three years.
The remaining 15 plead innocent in the sessions which none but the accused attended, not even their defense or families. These violations further extended to more than 12 Egyptian and international observers who were prevented from following up on the course of trials which rights organizations and political forces unanimously agreed on their illegitimacy for their trying of civilians and politicization.
Commenting on the occasion, Member of the MB Executive Bureau Dr. Mahmud Ghozlan affirmed in his statement to Ikhwanweb, “El-Shater and those with him wouldn’t have been where they are now, because of fabricated and false accusations, if they weren’t among the noblest, sincerest, and purest of peoples and the keenest over the well-being of their country, society, and nation.”
“This military trial proves the failed attempts of the Egyptian regime to distort the image of the MB,” Ghozlan added emphasizing that “this military trial will not deter the MB from their path and peaceful methodology, but rather it will increase their steadfastness until they reach their aims of political, social, economic, and cultural reform.”