Egyptian court rejects decision to try MB members before military tribunal
An Egyptian court decided in a rare ruling Tuesday that President Hosni Mubarak's order to try 40 of the banned opposition Muslim Brotherhood's top figures before a military court was not valid.
The Administrative Court said that the 40 members, 33 of whom are in custody, with seven others being tried in absentia, must be tried before a civilian court.
It was not immediately clear whether Mubarak or the government would appeal the ruling.
The Muslim Brotherhood considered the verdict a "victory" and described it in a statement posted on its Web Site as an "unprecedented and a historical decision."
The detained Muslim Brotherhood members, including third top leader Khayrat el-Shater, are facing charges of terrorism and money laundering. Their first military court session was held in April 26, when media were banned. the next hearing was adjourned till June.
Two other civilian courts have already twice ordered the release of el-Shater and a number of his co-defendants, but the Egyptian emergency state prosecutor renewed their detention.
El-Shater is the Brotherhood's third-highest ranking member and is known as the fundamentalist group's chief strategist and financier. He was arrested in December on suspicion of money laundering and terrorism. Afterward, the government froze the assets of 29 Brotherhood members and several companies linked to the group.
Human rights groups in Egypt and abroad have repeatedly condemned Egypt's policy of trial of civilians before military courts, which usually issue swift and harsh verdicts with no possibility of appeal except for a presidential pardon.
The Brotherhood has been banned since 1954 but has continued to operate and is Egypt's strongest opposition group. Its lawmakers have run as independents and hold 88 seats in the 454-seat parliament.