CAIRO: Twelve protesters arrested in September near the Ministry of Defense were acquitted by military court on Sunday, while blogger Maikel Nabil’s trial was adjourned to Nov. 27.
Activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah was remanded in custody for 15 more days pending investigations into accusations of inciting violence on Oct. 9, vandalizing military property and stealing military weapons.
Initial reports early Sunday suggested that charges of seizing a military weapon were dropped. Lawyers later said the charges remained as is, after the judge said he did not turn the page to read all the charges.
"There was inaccurate news that the charge was dropped. But after he and the judge left the court, the prosecution said it is untrue," said Laila Soueif, outspoken member of the March 9 Movement and Abdel-Fattah’s mother.
Soueif began an open hunger strike last Sunday until her son is released. "My health is pretty good and Alaa’s spirit is high," she said.
Abdel-Fattah’s sister, Mona Seif, a member of the No to Military Trials for Civilians campaign, wrote on her Twitter account after the session, "Judge after confirming several times Alaa isn’t charged with taking weapon, session ends; he returns to tell us oops [forgot] to turn the page."
Abdel-Fattah had for the second time refused to answer questions by the military prosecution, saying the army was part to the crime it’s probing and that as a civilian he should not be interrogated by the military prosecution. The crackdown on a mostly Coptic protest on Oct. 9 left 27 dead and about 300 injured.
The activist was remanded in custody for 15 days when he was summoned to the military prosecution on Oct. 30.
On the same token, Nabil had refused to be tried before a military tribunal and asked his lawyers not to plead his case. On Sunday, he renewed his request to the lawyers and case was adjourned to Nov. 27.
According to his brother, Mark, the court said it adjourned the trial to hear eyewitnesses.
A military court had previously sentenced Nabil, who has been on hunger strike for almost 75 days, to three years in prison in April. However in early October the court dropped the prison sentence and ordered a retrial, also in a military court, after an apology presented by Nabil’s father to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).
Nabil faces charges of insulting the armed forces and spreading false news in a blog post titled "The army and the people are not one hand".
The military court had agreed weeks ago to send Nabil to El-Khanka Mental Hospital to examine whether he is responsible over his actions.
"The final hospital report confirmed that my son’s mental state is fine and that he is responsible for his actions," Maikel’s father, Nabil Sanad, told DNE earlier.
The No Military Trials campaign had nonetheless reason to celebrate on Sunday.
Twelve protesters were acquitted by military court earlier in the day. They were charged with using violence against military officers and vandalizing Kobri El-Kobba Metro Stations.
"We expect them to be released by night or tomorrow (Monday) morning after they go back to jail to finalize the administrative procedures," lawyer Ragia Omran told DNE.
They were arrested during clashes with military police in front of the Ministry of Defense on Sept. 30.
