The Ministry of Social Solidarity announced Wednesday that it would await final, unappealable judgment before executing the verdict produced on Monday banning Muslim Brotherhood activity.
The announcement came following a verdict produced by the circuit court for urgent matters in Abdeen to disband the Muslim Brotherhood Organisation and the confiscation of its capital on Monday. Mahmoud Abdallah, member of Al-Tagammu Party, filed the complaint.
Alaa Essam of Al-Tagammu Party and colleague of Abdallah explained that “the ministry is compelled to execute the order and the only party allowed to appeal the case are the plaintiffs, in this case the president and the prime minister. The only proper entity that might appeal the case is the State Cases Authority, who is the legal representative on behalf of the state.”
“In the even that no appeal is made within 15 days the judicial order is forcibly applied and the ministry is bound by the verdict,” Essam said.
A judgment becomes final after all methods of appeal are exhausted or the statute of limitations is applied due to no being appeals made.
Hany Mehana, spokesman for the ministry, said “the minister of social solidarity, Ahmad Al Borea, recommended to the cabinet yesterday the complete disbandment of the association via the ministry itself.”
Mehana declared that there are two cases reviewing the legality of the Muslim Brotherhood as an organisation and association. The two courts are either reviewing the case or have produced a verdict regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. The first case is being presided over by the Supreme Administrative Court, which is reviewing the legality of the Muslim Brotherhood Association. The other was raised by Abdallah and has already produced the verdict of banning all activity from the Muslim Brotherhood as an organisation due to “its threat on national security”.
As well the banning of all activity by the Muslim Brotherhood Organisation, the urgent matters court also ordered the confiscation of “all real estate funds, liquid and transmitted, whether owned by or leased to the Muslim Brotherhood.”
“The ministry will only execute the part of the verdict which orders the formation of a committee to preside over any capital owned by the Muslim Brotherhood Organization,” Mehana said. “In the meanwhile, the ministry will await a final unappealable judgment produced by either court reviewing the case of the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood Association.”
The spokesman went on to deny that the ministry will halt the execution of the verdict produced by the court, clarifying that the ministry would be overstepping its jurisdiction. “The ministry will work within its capacity to implement a final court order, which is an administrative process and falls legally into its jurisdiction,” he said.
Hamdy Al-Fakharani, the claimant who raised the case ahead of the Supreme Council calling for the disbandment of the Muslim Brotherhood Association, previously expressed his wish to wait upon the court decision on 12 October. “I disapprove the disbanding of the Muslim Brotherhood Association through an executive decision produced by the ministry,” Fakharni said, adding that it would open the door for “appeals and a longer process, while a final court verdict will close the door towards appeals.”
