Maher Ahmad El-Mo’otahssem Bellah case at the State Council Court today adjourned.
In a telephone call to Mr. Nabil Gobrial the Cairo lawyer and Mr. Maher Ahmad El-Mo’otahssem Bellah El-Gohary’s lawyer today, it was disclosed that court hearing took place at the State Council Court “Maglis Al-Dawla”, Doqi, Cairo today.
The judge presided over the case was a new appointee, Dr Judge Mohammed Attia, with two members of the council, one of them was reported as a Christian called Monir Thabet.
The lawyer Nabil Gobrial asked to add President Hosni Mubarak and the Prime minster Ahmed Nazif as defendants because of their official position being responsible in person to apply the Human Rights law in the land of Egypt, he asked for compensation of 10 million Egyptian pounds (about 1 million sterling).
Judge Mohammed Attia showed a degree of hostility towards the plaintiff lawyer, as he initially refused to add the plaintiff lawyer request to add the Egyptian president and the Prime Minster as new defendant. The judge asked for the request to be submitted as a memo.
The Human Rights lawyer Mrs. Hoyda El-Omdah joined Mr. Nabil Gobrial and the Islamist lawyer Mansour Abdel Ghaffar joined the government lawyers in the case.
Mr. Nabil Gobrial said that he will sue the Egyptian Council for Human Rights Deputy Chairman, Mr Ahmed Kamal Abu Elmagd for not doing his job properly and failing to show interest in such an important case as Freedom of Religion lay at the heart of Human Rights, and Abu Elmagd did not care to do his job and “did not give a toss”.
Mr. El-Mo’otahssem Bellah did not attend the hearing; he was reported to be saddened by the loss of his mother who died on 11 October.
It was noticeable that no news papers correspondents nor foreign embassies staff were present during the hearing today. Plaintiff lawyer felt isolated, he said.
The hearing was adjourned to 6th of January 2009 session.