In a statement issued on Wednesday by Military Court Chief Justice Maj. Gen. Adel al-Morsy, the Egyptian media were asked not to comment on military court provisions and not to publish "false news" concerning the military judicial system. Morsy called on all citizens with legal complaints to head directly to the court and make a formal request, which he said would be immediately considered, saying his door was open to anyone with a complaint. Human rights groups recently complained that human rights activists and bloggers had been subjected to military trials during the transitional period, which began on 11 February following the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak. In March, Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) enacted legislation authorizing the use of the death penalty for acts of thuggery. The law followed a wave of thuggery that swept the country after police were withdrawn from the streets before the resignation of former President Hosni Mubarak in February. But human rights reports said that a number of activists were tried under the new legislation after staging protests defying a military-imposed curfew in effect from 28 January to mid-June. Egyptian activists and political groups have been increasingly critical of the prosecution of civilians before military tribunals. In August, the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) called for investigations into military abuses against civilian detainees, which reportedly included torture and "virginity tests" for female prisoners.
