(Photo by Ahmed Al-Malky)
The trial for former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mahdi Akef was postponed on Tuesday to February 11 by the South Cairo Criminal Court for a witness testimony session, according to state owned Al-Ahram.
Akef is being tried for making statements in an interview with Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jareeda on 5 April “defaming” the integrity of the judicial authority.
During the interview, the 85 year old, who led the Brotherhood from 2004 to 2010, accused the judiciary of being “diseased and corrupt” before adding that “legislation will be passed to remove 3500 judges from their positions”.
Akef initially denied the interview happened and accused Al-Jareeda of libel when the Egyptian media picked up the story, prompting Al-Jareeda to publish a recording of the interview. Audio experts were called on by the judge in order to prove that the voice in the recording is, in fact, Akef’s.
He was referred to court on 12 October for “insulting the judiciary and defaming its men”.
The member of the 1987 parliament was released by the court on bail, but will remain in custody for his role in the Moqattam clashes which saw Muslim Brotherhood supporters and opposition protesters clash in front of the Brotherhood’s main headquarters on 23 March, leaving 234 people injured.
On Monday, the trial of 15 prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood was also adjourned until 11 February for a witness hearing session. Among the defendants were Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, Freedom and Justice Party Vice-Chairman Essam Al-Erian, leading Brotherhood figure Mohamed Al-Beltagy, member of the Jamaa Islamiya movement Assem Abd El-Maged, former Minister of Supply Bassem Ouda, and media spokesman of the Salafi Front in Egypt Hesham Kamel.
The North Cairo Criminal Court upheld on 17 September a decision by the prosecutor general to freeze Akef’s assets.
