FJP Condemns Violence; Hopes Thursday Attack Will Not Be Repression Excuse

FJP Condemns Violence; Hopes Thursday Attack Will Not Be Repression Excuse

In a statement Thursday, Khaled Hanafi, Secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in Cairo, warned that media coverage of the assassination attempt on Mohammed Ibrahim, Minister of the Interior "is meant to justify the crushing grip of the security apparatus and more repressive practices and arbitrary arrests.


"We condemn all forms and acts of violence. We have absolutely nothing to do with the incident (the attempt to assassinate the minister). However, the details of the incident and the conflicting reports published by the media, claiming it was a car bomb then an explosive device, and that there was a number of dead victims then a number of wounded only, demonstrate that we have a measure of fabrication and media exploitation."


Khaled Hanafi, who is also a leading member of the Anti-Coup Pro-Legitimacy Alliance, further said: "The coup’s security grip has already reached maximum ruthlessness. I don’t know what more they want. In any case, we warn against exploitation of this incident to increase the security grip on coup opponents.


"Unfortunately, the hostile, almost fervent way this incident is being marketed by the pro-military media is bound to hurt Egypt and its international standing. If tourism was damaged, the marketing of this incident in that way deals a fatal blow to the country’s economy. Because the interior minister’s convoy is supposed to be the best guarded, with routes of his trips continuously changing – which ultimately raises suspicion and doubt."