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Egypt's ruling military council drops charges against activists Mahfouz and Nagati
12,000 others have been prosecuted by the council since February, Nagati hopes this decision will be a step in the right direction towards civilian trials for all
Ahram Online Published in Ahram Online on 19 - 08 - 2011

Egypt's ruling military council decided yesterday to drop charges against April 6 Movement activist Asmaa Mahfouz and activist and blogger Loai Nagati. They will no longer be prosecuted in a military court, as the council had previously intended.
Last week, the army's military prosecutors interrogated both Nagati and Mahfouzfor hours, after charging them with insulting the army and inciting violence.
The prosecutors based their charges against Nagati on his alleged role in the 28 June demonstrations in Tahrir Square; to defend the rights of the martyrs of the January 25 revolution against ousted president Mubarak.
In Mahfouz's case, prosecutors claimed that her criticism of the council's handling of political affairs in the country since it came to power last February amounted to stirring public negativity about the army.
Many Egyptians have come to Nagati's and Mahfouz's defence in recent days. Last week, hundreds of activists protested at their hearing in military courts, while thousands signed online petitions on Facebook demanding that the council drop its charges.
Meanwhile, international human rights organisations such as Amnesty and Human Rights Watch also pressured the council to respect the rights of both activists, especially their freedom of speech and expression.
After the army announced that it was dropping the investigation, Nagati told reporters that while he is glad that the council made this decision, he also wants the army to drop all charges against 40 of his comrades, arrested by the army on 28 June.
Nagati added that he believes the council should end its policy of trying civilians in military courts. He said that the 12,000 people prosecuted by the council since February for allegedly committing crimes should have the right to be tried in a civilian court.

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