Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

South Cairo Criminal Court judges announced they are to step aside from the trial of Dr. Mohamed Badie, Muslim Brotherhood Chairman; Mohamed Khairat Al-Shater, Brotherhood Vice-Chairman; and brotherhood leaders Mohamed Rashad Bayoumi, Mustafa Abdel-Azim Bishlawy, Mohamed Abdel-Azim Bishlawy and Atef Abdel-Galil Al-Samri "on charges of committing murder and incitement to kill demonstrators in front of the Brotherhood’s headquarters in Mokattam district of Cairo" because the court felt 'unease' – without elaboration.

Mamdouh Ahmed, member of the defense team, stressed that the court, headed by Judge Mohamed Amin Armouti, withdrew from the case because it there is no evidence or information to convict the defendants.

The Court preferred to step down from the case because the likelihood of acquittal is very high, up to one hundred per cent. Thus, the judge refused to consider the case to avoid an ‘innocent’ verdict.

In a statement, Mamdouh Ahmed said: "Most of the cases against Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members and against all opponents of the military coup now are purely political, not criminal.

"Before the June 30 coup, there was a similar case where 16 defendants, including Hazem Abdel-Azim, Nawara Negm, Ahmed Duma and others, received ‘innocent’ verdicts, despite damning evidence consisting of CDs with videos and photographs of the defendants."

Ahmed further pointed that, at present, we have a unique situation where all those who support the military coup are automatically innocent – promptly acquitted, while all those who oppose the coup are aggressively tried.

"For example, when Hatem Khater received a 15-day jail sentence, the next day he proved he did not belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, that in fact it was he who demanded dissolution of the Brotherhood, and that he fully supported the coup. He was released immediately."