The pro-Morsi Anti-Coup Alliance condemned Sunday the ban on the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), describing it as an unlawful and void decision. The alliance said in a statement that the ban demonstrates the extent to which the Egyptian judiciary is biased and politicised. Departing from legal process and constitutional rules, the current judicial system showed glaring evidence that it lacks real independence, the statement said. "There is an obvious exclusionary plot to dominate and monopolize the political scene, and to further control public opinion." The statement added the FJP was practically dissolved "weeks ahead of the July 2013 coup, in a series of planned attacks on the party's headquarters in a number of cities". This was followed by several acts of violence, arbitrary arrests, trials and the detention of all "supporters of democracy", the alliance said. It also describing it as a planned elimination of "the gains of Egypt's first democratic experience" Another Anti-Coup Alliance affiliated group, Independence of the Judiciary Front, asserted the invalidity of the ban decision, saying: "The current judiciary, participating in this void and politicised case, proved to have failed in following the necessary legal procedures." The Front also demanded that Judge Farid Tanagho, the former head judge of Egypt's state council who issued the ruling, be referred to a special committee to investigate him for violating legal proceedings and issuing an evidently politicised ruling. The group Lawyers Against Coup said in a Saturday statement that the verdict lacked any solid evidence that the FJP violated the political parties' law. The group said: "The case is a violation of the basic rules of democracy and freedom of speech." The FJP was not given the chance to appeal the verdict, as the entire case took less than a month, said the group. Muslim Brotherhood lawyer working on the case, Mahmoud Aboul Enien, said the judge's decision to ban the FJP is being treated as final. The party has not been given the right to appeal the judicial decision to ban the party, in violation of Article 17 of the political parties' law which allows the FJP to do so. The decision to ban the party, issued by the Supreme Administrative Court on Saturday, came at the official request of the committee governing the activities of political parties. Several Islamist parties and charity organizations have faced a crackdown by the authorities since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. However, the Salafist Nour Party, a strong backer of the current regime, remains untouched as it prepares for the country's upcoming elections at the end of 2014. The party issued a statement Saturday clarifying its clear stance and legal situation, arguing that the Political Parties Affairs Committee approved the party and its activity. The party added that investigations by the committee showed that the party does not use religion in its political discourse.
