Egyptian Court Orders Prosecutor not to Label the MB as a Banned Group

Egyptian Court Orders Prosecutor not to Label the MB as a Banned Group

Egypt’s Emergency State Security Court, which was considering the ‘Muslim Brotherhood International Organization case yesterday, has witnessed a hot debate between the president of the court, Judge Mahmoud Sami, and the representative of the Supreme State Security Prosecution after the latter labelled  them a banned group. The court, however, dismissed the charges.  

The judge asked the prosecutor: "Why do you label the Muslim Brotherhood a banned group?" He replied, "It is banned because Egyptian law prohibits religious parties." The judge asked him again: "Who banned it? Where is this court decision?" The prosecution’s representative said: "The Brotherhood has been banned by a verdict, and the group, however, has continued to operate in violation of the law." 

Ikhwanweb quoted the judge as saying: "Where is your evidence?" And, asked him to stop labeling them a banned group without evidence. 

In his argument, Dr. Muhammad Salim Al-Awa, who pleaded for international Muslim Brotherhood leaders accused in the case, asked the prosecutor to stop labeling them as members belonging to an outlawed organization, adding the group complies with the law, derives its legitimacy from the Constitution and there has been no judicial decision or ruling issued against them. 

"The Muslim Brotherhood was not operating in violation of the law, but according to its provisions and calling for peace, justice and adopting a peaceful approach to reform," he said. 

Awa said that since its inception by Hassan al-Banna in 1929, the group has shown respect for the law, so that when a decision was issued to dissolve it in 1948, former president of the State Council, Dr. Ahmad Abdul Razzak Al-Sanhouri, issued a court ruling to halt and reverse the administrative decision.