The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) called for the retrial of 5 MB leaders who received harsh prison terms in case no. 404 of 2009 Supreme State Security, well-known in the media as the “international networking case” before a conventional judge, rather than an emergency state court to ensure the defendants have full legal rights to challenge their sentences in all courts.
 
In a copy of the statement which was obtained by Ikhwanweb, the organization called for lifting the state of emergency which has been imposed since 1981, under which the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution and international covenants on human rights are being violated, in particular the right to a fair trial.
 
The EOHR has emphasized that the referral to the Emergency State Security Courts was established under the Emergency Law, and is a violation on the other hand, the expansion of referring those who have been indicted to special courts which are formed under the Emergency Law 162 [1958], seizes the right of individuals to appear before their conventional judges, and deprives them of their right to appeal their verdicts before a higher court.