Egypt Resumes Trial of Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Accused of Terrorism

Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badih, AP
Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badih, AP
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Egypt Resumes Trial of Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Accused of Terrorism

Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badih, AP
Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badih, AP

Next week, the trial sessions of several leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egyptian authorities classify as a terrorist organization, will resume in Egypt.

On May 10, the Emergency State Security Court in Egypt will complete the trial of Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohammed Badih, Mahmoud Ezzat and 77 other leaders from the organization.

The defendants face charges of “providing the Muslim Brotherhood with material aid and orchestrating a gathering with the purpose of committing premeditated murder in implementation of a (terrorist) purpose.”

The Public Prosecution charged the defendants with “committing murder, attempted murder for the purpose of terrorism, possession of firearms and ammunition without a license, possession of cold weapons, possession of explosives, assembly with the aim of disrupting state authorities from performing their work, thuggery, blocking roads, displaying force in order to intimidate citizens, sabotage, deliberately destroy public and private property, and deliberately setting fires to public and government facilities.”

Investigations revealed that “the defendants incited protesters to gather on and block the Nasr Road (east of Cairo).”

Besides disrupting transportation on Nasr Road, demonstrators were incited to set fire to a conference hall nearby, which led to the burning of the garden attached to the premise.

“The defendants assumed leadership of a group founded in violation of the provisions of the law,” Public Prosecution said last June.

The Prosecution added that the purpose of forming the organization is to incite public disorder, prevent state institutions and public authorities from carrying out their duties, and attack the personal freedom of citizens.

Next week, the Cairo Criminal Court will also issue its ruling in the retrial of 37 defendants in the case known in the media as the “Rabaa sit-in.”

The court had earlier sentenced to death 75 defendants, including Brotherhood leaders Mohamed El-Beltagy, Essam El-Erian and Abdel-Rahman El-Bar.



Palestinian Government Says It's Ready to Run the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
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Palestinian Government Says It's Ready to Run the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)

The Palestinian government says it is ready to take responsibility for running the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and is committed to managing crossing points in collaboration with the European Union and Egypt.
The Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, told a ministerial meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday on Gaza that the government welcomes any assistance to train and equip the Palestinian police and security forces. She also called for urgent humanitarian aid, The Associated Press said.
She expressed hope that the six-week ceasefire will lead to a final ceasefire and lay the foundations for a political track to end Israel’s occupation within a year as called for by the International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest tribunal.
Israel’s political coordinator, Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly, told the council “This war will not end until every hostage is returned and Hamas’ ability to terrorize is dismantled.”
She said the Middle East stands at “a turning point” where Iran’s proxies Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon have suffered “devastating losses” and its “network of terror” including the Houthis in Yemen have faced significant setbacks.
Ben Naftaly said Israel has no interest in a conflict with Syria “but we will not tolerate a situation that endangers our civilians, allows Iran to re-establish itself in the region, and transfer weapons to Hezbollah.”