Sources close to the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy said in a press statement issued Thursday that the Muslim Brotherhood will continue to escalate action against the regime without regard to cabinet’s recent decision declaring it a terrorist organization.
“The decision was taken by a trembling government,” said alliance member Abdel Hamid Barakat. “It does not reflect the will of the Egyptian people.”
“Foreign countries will not recognize that decision as there is no evidence to prove that the Brotherhood is a terrorist organization,” he added.
Mohamed al-Damaty, member of Morsy’s defense team, said the decision was taken hastily.
Vice President of the Salafi Dawah Yasser Borhamy said the decision would increase the violence in the streets and lead to more terrorist acts, agreeing that it should have been issued as a court ruling based on evidence.
The sources also said that the court rulings that have dissolved and banned the group entail the same penalties provided for in Article 86 of the penal code, and the decision is thus unnecessary, a mere media hive and cover for arbitrary arrests.
They added that the classification of the group as a terrorist organization requires court rulings and the existence of a systematically planned scheme as opposed to activities carried out by individual members.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
