CAIRO: The Administrative Court in Giza adjourned Monday two cases filed by Muslim Brotherhood (MB) Deputy Chief Khayrat El-Shater as well as 18 detained MB members demanding their release after serving half their jail term. "The court postponed the two hearings to Sept. 28 as the government did not respond to neither El-Shater s nor the 18 members requests, said Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, MB lawyer representing El-Shater and the 18 MB members. According to Abdel Maqsoud, the court cannot issue a verdict in both cases until the government responds by either approving or rejecting the members request. The detainees request comes after President Hosni Mubarak issued a pardon releasing political prisoners who had served half their jail term on July 23, marking the 55th anniversary of the July 23 Revolution. While several political prisoners were pardoned, prisoners affiliated with the MB as well as former presidential candidate Ayman Nour were not as lucky, according to Abdel Maqsoud. In related news, in the Delta city of Mansoura, on the same day, families of MB detainees held protests in front of the police station demanding the release of their relatives who were scheduled for release on Aug. 28. "The situation is really bad in Mansoura, police officials are continuing to detain more and more members of the group even during the holy month of Ramadan, Abdel Maqsoud said.
