Update 12 March: Ayman Nour was released on bail today, Saturday 12 March amidst the loud cheers of supporters who waved his Al-Ghad (Tomorrow) party's new orange flags. Public Prosecutor Maher Abdel-Wahed told a news conference Nour and five others had been freed on bail of 10,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,724) each in connection with the case involving allegations that Nour's party forged documents when it applied for recognition last year. Abdel-Wahed said the investigation was continuing into the allegations. Nour candidacy overshadows paper's first day Detained Al-Ghad Party Chairman Ayman Nour's announcement about intending to run in the coming presidential elections wreaked havoc at the printing press. Mona El-Nahhas reports Although he remains detained, Al-Ghad Party Chairman Ayman Nour -- a popular MP -- has decided to run for president. That announcement was made on the front page of the first issue of the new party's mouthpiece, Al- Ghad newspaper, which hit the newsstands yesterday. On Tuesday, a directive from the prosecutor-general's office caused fears that the paper might not appear on time. "What we heard was that the newspaper was stopped until the prosecutor-general reviewed it," Nour's lawyer Amir Salem told Al-Ahram Weekly, "to make sure it does not include material that would affect the investigations being conducted with Nour." When the 40,000 copies of the 20-page newspaper finally hit the newsstands yesterday, its front page featured a letter from Nour announcing his readiness to be a candidate in the coming elections. The newspaper also said it would serialise, beginning with its next issue, a manuscript by Nour entitled "The prisoner of freedom", which he penned during his detention. Nour was arrested in January on charges of forging thousands of his new party's membership applications; he was detained for 45 days pending investigations. Although officials have asserted that the case is criminal in nature, Nour's supporters cite hidden political motivations. One group cites Nour's calls for political reform; others attest to fears of a connection between the party and the US. It was also widely rumoured that Nour was jailed because he dared to consider nominating himself for the presidency. But according to his wife Gamila Ismail, Nour "only thought of taking that step after President Mubarak announced his initiative to amend Article 76 of the Constitution". Nour can nominate himself while still in jail, Salem said, because "according to the law, Nour is innocent, until a final court ruling proves the opposite. As an innocent citizen, Nour has every legal right to do whatever he wants, even if he decides to run for office. Investigations, detention or even a trial will not stop him from nominating himself." Only a court ruling convicting him, Salem said, would result in "his nomination being considered null and void". Nour's 45 days in custody pending investigations end today. Nour's defence team said that even though the investigations with him have actually ended, Nour was still not being released. Legal experts and human rights activists have repeatedly called for his release on the grounds that Nour is a public figure and his residence is known. "According to the law, investigations with him could be easily resumed outside prison. Yet, as the case against him has political motivations, releasing him appears to be a very remote possibility," Salem said. Ismail said, "even a request to transfer him to any private hospital was turned down, despite his deteriorating health." At one point last week, speculation was rife that Nour would be released within hours. Press reports indicated that Prosecutor- General Maher Abdel-Wahed was about to do so, and Nour's family, supporters and Al- Ghad Party members were anxiously waiting to see whether the prosecutor would drop the case or refer Nour to the Criminal Court. "But it seems the final say on this case requires a political decision," Salem said. Following Nour's arrest, the US administration criticised the government, saying Nour's detention threatens democracy in Egypt. Sources close to the party expected increased US pressure for Nour's release in the wake of his presidential candidacy announcement. The US, they said, will now view him as a political detainee. Nour's lawyers said that after informing party officials of his intentions, they would take all the legal steps to be stipulated by the constitutional amendment of Article 76 on his behalf. Some party members, meanwhile, have been unhappy with party Deputy Chairman Moussa Mustafa Moussa's "dictatorial style" of making decisions against the party council's will. A common refrain has been that Moussa is acting as such after having been intimidated by security bodies. Moussa was arrested at Cairo airport on his way back from London a few weeks ago and interrogated for nine hours. "After his release," one party member said on condition of anonymity, "we were shocked to find that Moussa had completely changed, had taken the government's side, and had plans to take over the party." The source said Nour had probably chosen Moussa, a businessman with no political background, as his deputy because Nour thought Moussa would never turn against him. "It seems Nour's calculations were flawed," he said. Moussa was soon taking measures that appeared intended to dilute both the party and its forthcoming mouthpiece. He began calling upon party members to avoid confrontations with the government, arguing that gatherings and demonstrations would not help Nour's case. Last week he dumped controversial journalist Ibrahim Eissa from the helm of Al- Ghad, even though Eissa had been selected as the newspaper's chief editor by the party's first general congress last November. Eissa's replacement, Sawt Al-Umma layout editor Abdel-Fattah Saad, told the Weekly that the new newspaper would offer the kind of opposition that is based on documents and facts. "Our style will be objective, not sensationalist." Moussa's moves were criticised by senior party members, led by Secretary-General Mona Makram Ebeid. Nour, himself, sent a letter to the Supreme Press Council, an affiliate of the Shura Council, informing them that he would act as the newspaper's chief editor, with Eissa serving as the executive chief editor. Nour's letter, however, received no reply. Moussa visited Nour at Tora prison on Saturday in an attempt to calm things down. He told Nour that he could not allow the newspaper to appear with Eissa as its chief editor, since Eissa was not in the state's good graces. Eissa was previously chief editor of Al- Dostour, a newspaper banned in 1998 for excess sensationalism and addressing subjects considered too taboo. Trying to contain the deteriorating situation at the party, and hoping things would get better after his release, Nour accepted Moussa's choice of Saad, but added his own condition: that the material for the first issue, much of which he had prepared from his prison cell, would remain as is. Nour also wrote a letter to Eissa. "Don't worry. Just a few days and I'll be beside you, and we will complete our project together." Ebeid, who had stood firmly against offering concessions, had no choice but to follow Nour's lead for the sake of the party's unity. "It's a temporary stage," she said. "We have to get through this crisis, and we'll be much stronger very soon." Eissa called it "nothing but a political farce. Destroying the party, by weakening its mouthpiece, turned out to be the state's sole target. Moussa was the tool they used to weaken the party and make it a more fragile entity." Ismail said the party would "never abandon [its] principles. We are upset because Ayman is detained. At the same time, we won't be happy if Ayman is released and the party is destroyed."
