Arrest warrants issued for five activists in Egypt

Image
Press Trust of India Cairo
Last Updated : Mar 26 2013 | 3:10 AM IST
The office of the Egypt's prosecutor-general has issued arrest warrants for five rights activists on the suspicion of inciting violence against members of the president's Muslim Brotherhood.
The wanted activists are blogger Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Ahmed Doma, Karim El-Shaer, Hazem Abdel-Azim and Constitution Party member Ahmed El-Ghoneimi, all of whom have been banned from leaving the country by the prosecution.
Karim El-Shaer, responding to the warrants issued yesterday, said on his Facebook page, that he rejected both the subpoena and the Morsi-appointed prosecutor-general who issued it, since the decision amounted to a "continuation of the Mubarak regime," in reference to Egypt's ousted president.
However, Abdel-Fattah, by contrast, expressed his intention to appear before the prosecution today, even though he viewed the decision as "evidence of the corruption of the case and the prosecutor-general's bias towards the Muslim Brotherhood."
He justified his decision to answer the summons by citing his desire to avoid subjecting his wife and son to police harassment.
"I'm not afraid of the prisons of the oppressive state," the activist wrote on Facebook. "I refuse to go from one who is unjustly accused to a fugitive."
The prosecution also summoned prominent activist and journalist Nawara Negm for questioning in connection with the clashes that took place near the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo's Moqattam district.
Negm, a daughter of renowned revolutionary poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, told the Headlines news program on the satellite ONTV last evening that though she has not yet received any summons, she would not submit to any questioning.
Earlier yesterday, Brotherhood lawyer Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud filed a complaint with the prosecutor-general against 169 people - including party heads, politicians- whom he accused of inciting violence.
The prosecution also heard the testimony of a number of injured protesters from the Brotherhood, who accused several opposition political figures of instigating the attacks.
The clashes between protesters and Brotherhood members outside the group's main headquarters in Cairo and in several other cities on March 23 left at least 200 people injured.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 26 2013 | 3:10 AM IST

Next Story