The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said late Wednesday it will not take part in next Friday's planned demonstrations, which have been called for by a number of revolutionary groups to protest the broadening of the much-maligned Emergency Law. Earlier this week, Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) decided to include false reporting, thuggery, and the blocking of traffic as crimes punishable by the law, enraging various political groups who said the move was a setback and voiced fears that it might be used to suppress political freedoms. The law was previously used during the reign of toppled President Hosni Mubarak to persecute political opponents and activists, provoking recurrent calls for its cancelation. In a statement published on the party's Facebook page early Thursday, the Freedom and Justice Party's Secretary General Saad al-Katatny said his group will not partake in the Friday protests. "Egypt is currently going through a very sensitive stage that requires consensus before taking any steps," he said. He also urged all political forces to prioritize Egypt's interests above personal and partisan considerations. Some secular groups have accused the Freedom and Justice Party of failing to support the demands of the revolution. The group was not present at last Friday's protests, which were almost totally devoid of Islamists. However, Katatny stressed the importance of announcing a timetable for the transfer of power to a civilian government. He also expressed the party's rejection of broadening the Emergency Law and extending its reach, saying that the law should be repealed before the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November. Katatny also reiterated the common revolutionary demand to halt military prosecutions for civilians.
