The April 6 Youth Movement on Monday said it rejects the interrogation of its members before military tribunals, stressing that its activists will defy any summons by military prosecutors. The statement by the group comes one day after one of its activists was detained and interrogated by military prosecutors over charges of incitement during the violence that erupted outside the Maspero state TV building in Cairo on 9 October. Twenty-seven mostly Coptic protesters and one army solider were killed in the bloody events that followed a march decrying mounting assaults on Coptic churches. On Sunday, military prosecutors detained activist Alaa Abd El Fattah for 15 days pending investigations.* They accuse him of incitement and weapons theft during the rampage. The group's statement, posted on its internet website, accused the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of fabricating the charges. Abd El Fattah declined to respond to interrogation queries on Sunday, challenging the jurisdiction of the military prosecutors and stressing that he will not appear except in a civilian court. The group said it has become tired of the criminalization of dedicated individuals who struggle for freedom, and weary of defending them against unjustified accusations. The statement also highlighted earlier pledges by Egypt's rulers to halt military prosecutions of civilians. Months ago, the SCAF, on its Facebook page, accused the group of sowing division between the army and civilians. The SCAF failed to support its accusation with evidence. The April 6 Youth Movement, established in 2007 in support of labor protests in the city of Mahalla, Egypt's textile industry center, was at the forefront of activist groups that called for the massive protests that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in February. On Wednesday, military prosecutors released Ali al-Halaby, a group member detained seven days earlier for allegedly taking part in a campaign against parliamentary candidates linked to the formerly ruling National Democratic Party. Before Halaby's release, the group had threatened with escalation, stressing that it will not give up efforts to expose corruption. *Correction: This article previously identified Abd El Fattah as a member of April 6.
