PAS condemns Egypt death sentences

(Harakah Daily) – PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had issued a statement to condemn the death sentences handed out by an Egyptian court against 529 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

He called on the international bodies such as the United Nation, Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to follow in the food step of African Union to suspend the membership of Egypt to the Union on the pretext of violating democratic practices and killing its own citizen.

“PAS condemns this devious plan. Even though we are ocean apart, but we are in solidarity with our brothers in Egypt,”he said March 25.

“This is the reality that we have to face. Islamic movements continue to be the target for traitors (who opposed democratic practice),”he said.

Meanwhile the Youth wing is to organise a peaceful protest in front of the Egypt Embassy on Friday to protest the move by the military government in the country to hand down death sentences

The protest will be held with the cooperation of Islamic non-governmental organisations, representatives from Pakatan Rakyat and concerned Malaysians.

Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat said the protest would take place after the Friday prayer at the Tabung Haji mosque, with participants expected to march to the Embassy, a distance of some 2km away.

The death sentence include that for its spiritual advisor Mohamad Badie on what is considered by the international community as a trump up charge.

Amnesty International said the death sentences were “a grotesque example of the shortcomings and the selective nature of Egypt’s justice system”.

The UK-based rights group said it was the “largest single batch of simultaneous death sentences we’ve seen in recent years, not just in Egypt but anywhere in the world,” and called for the verdicts to be quashed.

Legal experts said the shock verdict would likely be overturned on appeal because the court had rushed the trial without following the required procedures.

Lawyers said the judge brought the case to a close after two sessions and refused to allow the defence to complete their cases.

But Egypt’s army-installed interim government defended the court’s handling of the case, insisting that the sentences had been handed down only “after careful study” and were subject to appeal.

The latest move follows the earlier decision to outlaw MB.