A Cairo court confirmed the Saturday decision dissolving the Islamist Istiqlal Party accusing it of "being one of the political arms of the Anti-Coup Alliance (ACA)", according to state media. The court rejected the appeal by the party lawyers against a former decision to ban the party and its activities. Former State Security Court judge Amr Abdel Raziq had filed a lawsuit demanding the dissolution of the party. The lawsuit accused the party of "terrorism", inciting violence, and "using religious rhetoric in its political discourse, which endangers the country's security and societal peace," according to state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram. The party has been an important element of in the Islamist pro-Morsi Anti-Coup Alliance, acting as strong vocal opponent of the current government and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The party recently joined in the calls by the Salafi Front to stage an "Islamic Uprising" to restore the "Islamic identity and Sharia Law". The majority of party members were part of the inactive Islamist Work Party, which was subject to regular crackdowns under both Hosni Mubarak and Anwar El-Sadat. Government authorities launched a crackdown on Islamist organisations following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) was ordered dissolved last August by a top court. Other Islamist parties including the Building and Development Party and Al-Nour Party face trials at the initiative of independent lawyers, on charges of "involving religious rhetoric in their discourse".
