Trial of Taba and Nuweiba bombings delayed

The Criminal Court of south Sinai decided to delay the trial of the sixteen defendants who were accused of bombing Taba and Nuweiba in December 13 2004. The defence presented the procedures of appeal that have been made to the constitutional court concerning some articles of the emergency law that are unconstitutional. The defendant’s lawyer Ahmed Seif al-Islam requested the delay of the trial until the constitutional court rule. The five defendants present in the trial included three who were sentenced to death, and two who were imprisoned The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) agreed to retry the defendants after a series of protests that were carried out by their parents in Sinai. This is a rare action taken by the Egyptian authorities regarding those who were convicted in state security cases. The defendants were convicted and sentenced in 2006, but the death sentence was not carried out because the overthrown President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak did not ratify the court rule as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The defendants are charged of several crimes: Joining a terrorist group, terrorism, attempted murder with premeditation, damaging buildings, manufacturing and using materials explosives without a licence, providing financial aid, and covering up defendants. In addition to stealing a car, in order to use it in the bombings. Tens of Israelis, foreigners and Egyptians were killed and injured in the bombings that targeted Taba Hilton Hotel and Baddiyah camps in Nuweiba. Supreme State Security Court of Emergency in Ismailia, sentenced three defendants to death in September 2006. The first defendant was Younes Mohamed Mahmoud Alyan Greer, the second defendant was Osama Mohammed Abdel Ghani Nakhlawi, and the third defendant was Mohammed Gaaz Sabah Hussein Abdullah. The court however sentenced Mohammed Abdullah Raba Seleiman and Mohammad Abdullah Abu Jarir to life imprisonment. The decision of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) came after a series of protests organised by those who describe themselves as Almouhdin (believers of God) in Sinai. They demanded the release of the five defendants, and they kidnapped twenty-five Chinese workers who were working in a cement factory in the centre of Sinai. After they were promised the release of the five defendants, they released the hostages hours later. At that time, the Egyptian police said that the defendants were members of al Tawhid and Jihad (Oneness and Jihad) that carried out the Sinai bombings, which occurred between 2004 and 2006. The case documents revealed that the three defendants who were sentenced to death were senior aides to the physician Khaled Mosaed, the commander of the Tawhid and Jihad organisation. The Egyptian authorities believed that he had carried out the Sinai bombings during the past two years. Bedouin says that security forces of the former regime made up hundreds of cases for them, and the provisions were issued in absentia. For some convicts, provisions reached up to 50 years.