CAIRO ? Investigative judges in Egypt said Wednesday that the Americans and Egyptians who have been charged in the government?s crackdown on U.S.-funded pro-democracy groups could face up to five years in prison for working at unlicensed organizations.
The remarks -- the most extensive description of the government?s case against the pro-democracy workers to date -- did not suggest that investigators had determined that the workers were engaged in nefarious or subversive activities. Rather, the investigative judges, which in Egypt?s judicial system serve as the American equivalent of prosecutors, accused the two NGO workers of failing to pay taxes, entering the country on tourist visas and training political parties even though the Egyptian government refused to accredit their employers.
?The case is very big and is a very deep case that includes hundreds of people, organizations and entities,? Judge Sameh Abu Zaid said Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at the Justice Ministry.
The case has angered U.S. officials and prompted American lawmakers to threaten to cut off financial aid to Egypt. The press conference appeared to suggest that despite an outcry in Washington and among civil society activists in Egypt, the military-led government in Cairo does not intend to water down or dismiss the case soon.
In outlining the evidence gathered to date, the judges mentioned puzzling items, saying, for instance, that investigators found maps of Egypt with English scribbling on them in the office of the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Cairo.
Zaid said the groups were found to be ?training political parties on the electoral process,? a description consistent with what non-governmental organizations have said they?ve been doing for months.
Egyptian authorities charged 43 people in the probe, including 19 they identified as American citizens. However, the State Department on Tuesday said it believes only 16 of the defendants are American. Fewer than half of those are believed to be in Egypt, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
The defendants include the Egypt directors of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the IRI. The latter, Sam LaHood, is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Nancy Okail, an Egyptian citizen and the Egypt director of the Washington-based Freedom House, is in Cairo and said Thursday that she has not received formal charging documents and does now know whether Egyptian authorities intend to physically detain her and the others who are in the country as part of the legal process.
?It is very tense and very volatile,? she said in a phone interview, adding that she is eager to fight the charges.
?I would be happy to go in this case until the end because I respect the rule of law and I think justice will prevail,? Okail said. ?But I wish we knew that this is a legal case and not a political one. The indication so far is that it is political.?
Sherif Mansour, a Freedom House employee based in Washington who was also charged in the case, said he found the evidence laid out Wednesday to be laughable.
?My first impression is I?m very happy,? said Mansour, an Egyptian citizen. ?I?m sure my lawyer is, too, seeing the ridiculousness of the evidence.?
Mansour, a senior program director, said he would gladly travel to Egypt to stand trial.
?This is about disenfranchising civil society and manipulating the relationship with the U.S.,? he said. ?Egyptian civil society is our strongest hope to protect rights and freedoms in the years ahead.?
Hassieb is a special correspondent.
Source: http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=278f1cea551b3646fd0916ca77eae93d
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