Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

A Message to the Military Tribunal

First of all, we would like to stress on our appreciation to the Armed Forces that protect our country. When we object to referring us to the military court, we actually stick to our constitutional right of standing trial in front of a natural and competent judge. We also want the Armed Forces to be set aside from becoming a part in any political rows. This attitude does not mean that we have any personal disagreement or enmity with any officer in the Armed Forces whom we fully apprec

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In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
 
Major General/ Chief Justice of the Supreme Military Tribunal
Officers/ Members of Supreme Military Tribunal
 
First of all, we would like to stress on our appreciation to the Armed Forces that protect our country.
When we object to referring us to the military court, we actually stick to our constitutional right of standing trial in front of a natural and competent judge. We also want the Armed Forces to be set aside from becoming a part in any political rows. This attitude does not mean that we have any personal disagreement or enmity with any officer in the Armed Forces whom we fully appreciate.
Thereafter, we- defendants in case no. 2 of the year 2007 under provisional detention for more than a year- want the court to allow us to give vent to feelings and show our attitude:
 
First: We are so angry because the court hasn"t addressed any of the legitimate demands submitted by the defence team during the past 41 trial sessions.
 
Second: The court ruling on session of Dec, 16th, 2007, of amending some charges against us gave the impression that the court is going to drop some charges, after it dropped the leadership charges on all defendants in addition to dropping terrorism from the money laundry charge. However, the phrase "as a precaution" clouded the amendment with ambiguity and confusion. It also didn"t drop the charge of terrorism related to the sequestered items.
 
Third: The modified ruling added more charges to some defendants, specially the first and second defendants, and toughened its new wording in a manner which was absent in the first bill of indictment. This isn"t a grave injustice on the defendants only, but it is so against their wives, underage children and partners as well.
 
Fourth: We were stunned, on Dec, 23rd session, by the court refusal"s to respond to the legitimate demands submitted by our defense team. We were even more surprised when it decided that the first bill of indictment isn"t changed and that the amendment is only "added as a precaution", increasing the confusion of both the defendants and the defense team.
 
Due to the abovementioned, we address the conscience of the court- which we know is confident that charges that the military prosecution accused us of are groundless specially after no evidence have been submitted to consolidate them. We also address its belief and mind that all of us will stand before Allah the Exalted the Majestic:" On the Day when every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish there were a great distance between it and its evil. But Allah cautions you (to remember) Himself. And Allah is full of kindness to those that serve Him " (Aal `Imran 3:30).
 
Therefore, we stress on the following demands:
1-We stick to all our demands previously submitted by the defense team, especially those that the defense submitted in the previous session on Dec, 23rd, 2007.
 
2-We demand the court to end the ambiguity clouding the modified ruling, through dropping the charge of money laundry or complicity charges against defendants from 1 to 29 in addition to dropping the case of terrorism from all charges.
 
3-Cancelling all charges which were likely introduced against some defendants in the modified ruling specially the first and second defendants.
 
4-While we submit these demands to the court, we stress that we don"t plead guilty, because all these charges against us are actually politically motivated and are groundless. Therefore, we demand again immediately releasing all defendants, topped by Hassan Zalat who is currently hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit so that the year long provisional detention does not turn into a punishment against innocent persons.
We ask Allah almighty to help you issue a fair ruling of acquitting and releasing all defendants, a ruling that will be proved to be fair and true by the pleading of the defence team in the coming sessions.
 
 
Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you

Khairat Al-Shater, the second deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood

Hikestep-Cairo