Activists Launch E-Protests Against Military Trials for Civilians

Egyptian activists launched a Facebook campaign with the title "No to the military tribunals for civilians," where they agreed to post their slogan for an hour-long "electronic demonstration" last Saturday on the Facebook Pages of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, SCAF, and other government pages in order to protest against the ongoing referral of civilians to military courts by the military police.

 

Above 7000 Facebook users took part in the virtual protest, but it was not welcomed by the official government pages, whose admins blocked the users who posted such slogans.  

 

According to one of the activists, demands included the immediate release of all political activists detained and remaining in custody since the beginning of the January 25 revolution. 

 

The call was mainly adopted and propagated by the Facebook pages of April 6 Youth Movement and Mohamed ElBaradei, whose members exceed 250,000 users.

 

In a swift response, Egyptian state television reported on Monday that SCAF chief Field Marshal Tantawi approved the cancellation of military trials against 230 civilians who have been arrested since the revolution.