Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

The five MB leaders will be tried after being charged with allegedly channeling money through a British-based Islamic charity to fund the movement's activities in Egypt . The accused MB members  who have been previously acquitted numerous times include Saudi national Awad al-Qarni and Egyptians Ibrahim Munir the MB International Secretary General, Wagdy Ghoneim, and Ashraf Abdul Ghafar to be tried in absentia since they live abroad, while Ossama Mohamed Suleiman is currently held in custody in Egypt.

The MB leaders have been wrongfully accused of collecting funds for the group through donations at conferences and talks in the British capital London under the pretext of setting up charitable projects in Islamic countries.

The alleged charges are founded on a law passed in 2002, and are difficult  to prove since the decisions of the state security emergency court set up to hear the case cannot be appealed.

The charged MBs were among 32 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members arrested last June and were previously acquitted by courts.

International rights groups have repeatedly criticised the use of emergency courts set up under emergency laws in force since 1981, which denies the right of appeal and due process. 

The emergency law was initially established to combat terrorists and drug dealers but has been applied mostly against political opposition mainly from the Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition bloc.