Rights Groups Urge MB Boycott Military Tribunal

Several Egyptian human rights organizations issued a statement in which they reject the Egyptian government’s decision of holding the first session of the military trials against Muslim Brotherhood leaders a few hours after the competent justice acquitted them; these organizations urge the Muslim Brotherhood detainees and their defense panel not to attend the trial sessions because it is useless to appear before these unjust tribunal.
 
The following is the text of the statement:
 
The undersigned Human rights organizations call on the Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt not to attend the military tribunals before which many Egyptian civilians affiliated to the group are tried, call on also the lawyers, affiliated to the group or others, to boycott these trials as a peaceful and legal means for facing these unfair trials.
 
A few hours after issuing a third court ruling for acquitting and immediately releasing eng. Khairat Al Shater and other MB leaders, the Egyptian government issued its rash and unjust decision of transferring them to the Military Criminal Court. More quickly also, it ordered the first sessions of the trial be held on Thursday April, 26, 2007.
 
The undersigned human rights organizations confirm that this is the fourth case against Muslim Brotherhood members and leaders to appear in front of the military justice, including two cases in 1995 and 2000; past experiences confirm it is useless to attend these military tribunals that lack any fair standards, and that the rulings issue by them are always reflecting a political revenge, not achieving justice.
 
The human rights organizations see that the attendance of the defendants an their defense panel will add nothing but a legitimacy to these trials and show them as if they are real.
The undersigned organizations insist on their rejection to trying civilians in front of military tribunals, call for not attending military courts that hear civil issues, and urge the Muslim Brotherhood group to contribute to unveiling the real ugly face of these trials through not attending them, even if this led to issuing rulings that convict the defendants; this because these convictions will be issued whether the defendants and their defense panel attended or didn’t attended them.
 
Also, the undersigned groups call on Egyptian lawyers no to attend these trials to which the Egyptian government used to refer political critics regardless of their being civilians or militaries, trials that have nothing to do any fair trials approved by all democratic peoples all over the world.
 
Not attending the trial is a legal and peaceful means that aims at reinforcing the rights of the civilian citizen in his trial in front of the competent judge when unbiased and fair investigation authorities decide to refer him to it.
 
 
Al-Hurriya Center for Political Rights and Support Democracy
Hesham Mubarak Law Centre
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information
Freedoms Committee in the Bar Association
Nadeem Center for Psychological Therapy and Rehabilitation of the Victims of Violence
Egyptian Association Against Torture
The Popular Committee for North Sinai Citizens’ Rights
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
Civil Human Rights Watchdog
Egyptian Watchdog for Justice and Law
Human Rights Equality Association – Port Said
Association For Human Rights Legal Aid
Maet center to the human rights and constitutional studies
The enterprise of freedom of thought and expression
The Arab program to the human rights activists


Other Topics:


Prisoners of Conscience
Ikhwanweb, London-UK
Al-Shater’s Health Deteriorates After Being Denied Medical Care
Ikhwanweb, London-UK
HRW says arbitrary arrests rise in Egypt
United Press International – USA
Egypt widens crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood – group
Reuters AlertNet – London,England,UK
Egypt widens crackdown on Brotherhood – group
Independent Online – Cape Town,South Africa