Egypt is a Police State: Senior Muslim Brotherhood Member Condemns New Mass Death Sentence for 683
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Sharif Abdel Kouddous,Democracy Now!correspondent based in Cairo, Egypt.
Mohamed Soudan, foreign relations secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. He is living in exile in Britain.
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Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont has announced plans to block $650 million in military aid to Egypt after an Egyptian court sentenced to death 683 alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group’s spiritual leader, Mohammed Badie. Leahy, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees foreign aid, described the judicial proceedings as a "sham trial." Leahy’s announcement comes a week after the Obama administration said it would ease the suspension of military aid to Egypt that followed the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last year. In another controversial move, an Egyptian court has banned the April 6 movement, a pro-democracy group that played a key role in the popular uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak in 2011. We get an update on these developments live from Cairo with Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous. We also speak with Mohamed Soudan, the exiled foreign relations secretary of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: We turn now to Egypt. On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont announced plans to block the Obama administration from sending $650 million in military aid to Egypt after an Egyptian court sentenced to death 683 alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group’s spiritual leader, Mohammed Badie. Leahy, who chairs the Senate subcommittee that oversees foreign aid, described the judicial proceedings as a "sham trial."
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY: It’s a flaunting of human rights by the Egyptian government. It’s an appalling abuse of the justice system, which are fundamental to any democracy. Nobody—nobody—can justify this. It does not show democracy; it shows a dictatorship run amok. It is a total violation of human rights. So I’m not prepared to sign off on the delivery of additional aid for the Egyptian military. I’m not prepared to do that until we see convincing evidence the government is committed to the rule of law.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: That was Senator Patrick Leahy. His comments came a week after the Obama administration announced it would ease the suspension of military aid to Egypt that followed the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi last year. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy at the State Department. He spoke to reporters after the meeting.
SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY: We want the interim government to be successful. We are hopeful and look for a political process of inclusivity, a constitution implemented, which brings people politically to the table and broadens the democratic base of Egypt. Egypt’s constitution is a positive step forward. It has taken steps, and they are moving now to an election. But even as these positive steps have been taken, we all know there have been disturbing decisions within the judicial process, the court system, that have raised serious challenges for all of us.
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