Egypt court postpones cases on legality of Muslim Brotherhood

An Egyptian court has adjourned to September cases challenging the legality of the Muslim Brotherhood, as the Islamist group battles to hold on to political gains secured since Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in an uprising last year. Banned during Mubarak's 30 years in power, the Brotherhood was one of the biggest beneficiaries of his downfall, winning the largest bloc of seats in parliament and possibly last weekend's presidential election. But the army, running Egypt since the president was pushed from power, has in recent days taken moves to curb the Brotherhood: implementing a court ruling to dissolve the Islamist-dominated parliament and curbing the powers of a future president. Six cases have been filed by different lawyers demanding the dissolution of the Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party, and demanding the group disclose its sources of finance, judicial sources and a lawyer behind one case told Reuters news agency. Lawyer Shehata Aboshear, who filed a suit demanding evidence that the Brotherhood was properly licensed, said he launched the case after a crackdown on foreign and local non-governmental organisations in December. Banning Brotherhood? "The government cracked down on foreign NGOs saying they were operating without licences, while the Brotherhood's organisation was out in full force and with branches everywhere. How come?" Aboshear said after his case was adjourned to Sept. 1. "Whenever you talk to anyone from the Brotherhood, they say their organisation is registered with the Social Affairs Ministry, but is there any evidence? No," he said. He said the group, repressed by the authorities for much of its 84-year history, should be dissolved if not properly licensed. Of the six cases, those challenging the Brotherhood were adjourned till Sept. 1 and the suits against the FJP were adjourned till Sept. 4, a court source said. Egyptian court cases are usually lengthy and often suffer delays and there was no indication that the postponements were anything other than routine. But the delay offers the traditionally powerful military and the newly empowered Brotherhood time to seek some kind of coexistence. One Western diplomat said any ruling to disband the Brotherhood, whatever the legal grounds, would spell even more turbulence for a nation already in political turmoil. "If anyone had any political wisdom they would throw this case out," the senior diplomat said, adding that a move to dissolve the group would look like an attempt to cut out of political life the millions of voters who backed the Brotherhood in parliamentary and presidential polls. "You cannot realistically ban these people and their thinking and their political beliefs," he said.