In preparation for the trial before the Court of Appeals next Sunday of eight Muslim activists who were sentenced by a primary court to two years in prison each for protesting against the
In preparation for the trial before the Court of Appeals next Sunday of eight Muslim activists who were sentenced by a primary court to two years in prison each for protesting against the 2011 New Year Eve bombing of the Two Saints Church in Alexandria, the Coptic Maspero Youth Union (MYU), held a press conference at the Journalists’ Syndicate in Cairo last Wednesday. The MYU was joined by other activists and Egyptian rights movements to advocate the case of the Muslim young men: Mohamed Nagy, Mustafa Shawqy, Mohamed Atef, Mustafa Mohye, Tamer al-Sady, Ahmed Rifaat al-Ayaas, Diaa’ Ahmed Rabie, and Amr Ahmed Abdu..
In the wake of the New Year Eve bombing in which 24 Copts lost their lives, Christians and Muslims took to the streets to protest the injustice and the security shortcoming. On 3 January 2011, some 200 Egyptians, Christian and Muslim waged a sit-in in front of the church of the Holy Virgin in Masarra, Shubra, calling for the dismissal of both the then Interior Minister and head of Alexandria security apparatus for failing to protect the church. The police caught eight young men and charged them with assaulting 15 security soldiers and four police officers, as well as damaging two microbuses, an army armoured vehicle and 11 trucks.
Wednesday’s press conference was attended by representatives of various political forces, public figures as well as Muslim and Christian clerics in support the eight young before the appeal trial next Sunday.
MYU condemned the trial of these youth who did not take part in any demonstration, but only participated in a peaceful sit-in among 200 other persons under the eye and guard of security.
Even though law experts maintain that the case against the eight men has neither legal backing nor evidence to support the charge against them, activists fear the ruling may be political.
WATANI International
9 May 2012