The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters will look into lawsuit demanding the designation of the Al-Bedaya political movement as a “terrorist group” on 18 June.
The General Prosecution decided to refer the case to court days after lawyer Ashraf Farahat filed a lawsuit demanding the movement’s being banned.
Farahat said the movement is neither registered as an NGO nor as a party, adding that the movement publically defended the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood, as well as its political arm and affiliated NGOs, have either been banned or confiscated by the government.
Bedaya member Sherif Badr appeared in a TV programme hosted by presenter Wael Al-Ibrashi on private Channel Dream 2 on Sunday. Badr stated that it is not logical for Egypt after four years of unrest to “switch between religious fascism and military fascism”.
In the same episode he added that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a terrorist group, and that all militant attacks were done by the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, now known as “State of Sinai”.
Farahat, a lawyer known for his nationalist agenda, said that he will present documents which include digital footage and video clips, as well as Facebook posts by Badr, where he allegedly criticised the army and accused it of killing members of ultras, the hardcore football fan groups.
On Tuesday, a lawsuit filed by a former top judge against blogger and political activist Alaa Abdel Fatah in 2014 turned into latest new case in against the activist. He was charged with insulting the judiciary on a TV talk show.
Al-Bedaya posted an online petition calling for members, stating its goals which ranged from the acquittal of all “prisoners of conscience” and cancelling the “flawed” Protest Law.
Since its creation, Al-Bedaya has been criticised and described as “traitors” and “an offshoot of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood group”.
