CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood has condemned the use of military trials in the country, after two leading activists were summoned by the military on Sunday. Alaa Abdel Fattah was detained pending an investigation after he refused to take part in the military investigation. Khairat el-Shater, the Vice-President of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, called for the immediate release and repeal of all civilians tried under the military trials. Over 12,000 civilians have been tried and detained in Egypt under the controversial military trials since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak in February. Egyptian blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah and activist Bahaa Saber were summoned for a military hearing today for allegedly inciting violence during the October 9 military attack on a Coptic Christian protest that left at least 27 dead and around 300 wounded in Cairo. Fattah reportedly refused to be interrogated by the military court, rejectig its legal legitimacy. He was sentenced to 15 days in state custody pending further investigation, according to the Al-Nadeem Center for Victims of Violence in Cairo. “We reject military trials for civilians,” El Shater said in a statement, “and we also strenuously reject any form of crackdown against citizens because of their free expression of opinions. “Moreover, MB believes that civilian penal code is adequate to investigate and try any alleged crimes or violations of Egyptian law,” Shater said. Saber reportedly refused interrogations as well, but was released. BM
