Egypt joins Geneva negotiations on Global Plastics Treaty, calls for urgent agreement    Egypt delivers over 30 million health services through public hospitals in H1 2025    Madinet Masr in talks for three land plots in Riyadh as part of Saudi expansion    Egypt's PM tells Palestinian PM that Rafah crossing is working 24/7 for aid    Egypt, Japan discuss economic ties, preparations for TICAD conference    Real Estate Developers urge flexible land pricing, streamlined licensing, and dollar-based transactions    Egypt's Sisi pledges full state support for telecoms, tech investment    EGP inches down vs. USD at Sunday's trading close    EGX launches 1st phone app    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Court: Muslim Brotherhood legal and constitutional
Published in Daily News Egypt on 04 - 07 - 2012

The Muslim Brotherhood is constitutional and legal, and the 1954 decision to ban it is null and void, the Cairo Criminal Court ruled on Tuesday.
The court, headed by Justice Noor al-Din Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, was ruling on the case known as the “International Organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood" in which businessman and Brotherhood leader Osama Suleiman faced charges of “joining a group founded in contravention of the provisions of law" and money laundering.
The court cleared Suleiman of both charges and in its ruling summary said the first charge was invalid since the Brotherhood is not a “group founded in contravention of the provisions of law."
“Having studied and carefully considered the reality of the Egyptian political scene and economic life in Egypt, the Court believes that the Muslim Brotherhood was founded at the time in accordance with the provisions of the law. After the 1952 revolution, the government considered the Brotherhood a political party, subject to a newly enacted law to disband political parties.
This Court considers that the Brotherhood never behaved or was described as a political party, and certainly was not established under the political parties' law," the summary read.
The court noted that it found no evidence of the Brotherhood ever calling for the disruption of laws or constitutional articles; preventing state institutions and public offices from carrying out their duties; or any of the common charges against the group.
The verdict means the Brotherhood can now claim legitimacy and freely conduct its activities.
The ruling comes only a few days after the inauguration of President Mohamed Morsy, a former senior Brotherhood official. Morsy resigned from his position in the Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau shortly after being declared president-elect.
The Brotherhood, however, still faces another case filed against the group, calling for its dissolution. That case is being handled by the Administrative Judiciary Court and has been postponed to September 4.
Since the plaintiff in the pending case, lawyer Shehata Mohamed Shehata, is relying on the 1954 decision as the grounds for his charge, today's ruling is likely to prove to be in the Brotherhood's favour come September 4.
Shehata told Daily News Egypt the ruling summary exceeded the court's jurisdiction and had nothing to do with the actual case.
“I feel like this ruling could be a form of favouritism towards the Brotherhood," he said in reference to Morsy's victory.
According to Shehata, it is administrative courts, not criminal courts, which have the jurisdiction to rule on the legality of a group.
“And even if we are to accept this ruling, it only talks about the formation of the group being legal and the 1954 decision being void, but can the court rule the Brotherhood is currently legal? No it cannot," he added.
Shehata said there have been four Non Governmental Organisation laws since 1954 and the Brotherhood has not complied with any of them.
On the other hand, the Brotherhood's lawyer, Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsood, told Daily News Egypt the group's legal standing is solid.
He refuted Shehata's claims and said NGO laws do not apply to the Brotherhood and a previous ruling classified it as an Islamic Body, not an NGO.
“There are no laws for Islamic Bodies yet, when there are, the Brotherhood will comply with them immediately," he said.
He added that the 1954 decision, which the court ruled invalid today, arguably never happened to begin with since it was not an official decision.
“Today's ruling proves what we have been always saying," he said. “The Muslim Brotherhood is a completely legal group."


Clic here to read the story from its source.