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Lawyers vow to continue
to pursue case against Egyptian leader until he is tried in an international
court
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Members of the South African Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA)
announced their victory after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi canceled
his trip to attend the 25th African Union Summit in Johannesburg.
“We are very happy to
hear that el-Sisi has cancelled his trip. It is a victory for us,” attorney
Yousha Tayoub, an MLA member, told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
The MLA had filled an
official legal request on Wednesday to have the Egyptian President arrested
when he arrived in South Africa to attend the AU summit.
The lawyers claimed in
their court application that Sisi committed war crimes and crimes against
humanity that resulted from the 2013 coup in Egypt when he ousted Egypt's first
democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi.
Tayoub said they will
continue to pursue their case against the Egyptian leader until he is tried in
an international court for the crimes they believe he committed.
“Our case against el-Sisi
is not yet over. We shall continue to pursue him - and whenever he comes to
South Africa, he will be arrested,” Tayoub said Thursday.
Tayoub said they have
organized a protest against Egyptian authorities on Friday at the AU Summit
demanding for the release of Dr. Sheikh Abdussalam Bassiouni, a South Africa
citizen of Egyptian origin who was arrested in Egypt.
“Our protest will
continue as planned,” he said.
Bassiouni was accused of
being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and was arrested by Egyptian
authorities when he visited Egypt six months ago.
Ibrahim Vadwa, a
researcher at the Media Review Network, a South African advocacy group, also
welcomed the news.
“It is a victory for us
and all those who love peace in the world,” he told Anadolu Agency. “But we
would have loved to see him arrested here [in South Africa].”
EARLIER
STORY: S. African Muslim Lawyers Call For Arrest Of Sisi
The South African Muslim
Lawyers Association (MLA) has filed an official legal request for the arrest of
Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi when he arrives in Johannesburg on June 16th to
attend the 25th African Union Summit.
“We believe al-Sisi
committed war crimes and crimes against humanity for the horrendous killings
that resulted from the [2013] coup in Egypt,” attorney Yousha Tayoub, an MLA
member, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
He said Sisi’s upcoming
visit would present a good opportunity for the South African authorities to
arrest, investigate and prosecute the Egyptian president for his alleged
crimes.
“We have overwhelming
evidence proving that al-Sisi committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
We have presented our evidence to the authorities and are hopeful they will
act,” Tayoub said.
He added that Sisi should
be given the chance to answer the charges against him in a court of law.
“There has been a lot of
killing and persecution of members of [Egypt’s] Muslim Brotherhood and its
supporters [under al-Sisi’s rule],” he said.
Tayoub noted that South
Africa was a signatory to the Rome Statute, which formally established the
International Criminal Court (ICC), which means that South African authorities
can arrest anyone accused of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, war
crimes or crimes of aggression.
The Media Review Network
(MRN), a South African advocacy group, likewise supports calls for Sisi’s
arrest upon his arrival in the country.
“The MRN reminds the
South African government that the crimes committed by al-Sisi are universally
condemned offenses,” MRN spokesman Ibrahim Vawda said Wednesday. “War criminals
are considered enemies of all humankind; our young democracy must not be seen
as a safe haven for such criminals.”
He said the South African
government should conduct itself as a respectable member of the AU and a
responsible member of the international community.
“Therefore, a quick
resolution of this application [for Sisi’s arrest] must be treated as a matter
of urgency,” he said in an emailed statement to Anadolu Agency.
It has yet to be seen,
however, whether the South African government will take steps to arrest the
visiting head of state.
Source: World Bulletin / News Desk
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