Military trials of civilians in Egypt under strong attack - Politics - Egypt - Ahram Online
Several political groups and public figures have launched a strong attack on the military trials of civilians after activist Asmaa Mahfouz was referred to a military court on Tuesday and released on a LE20,000 bail on Sunday.
Mahfouz, accused of inciting violence against the military and insulting members of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, was summoned by the military prosecution.
The military’s action against Mahfouz has angered many; reviving support for the campaign against the trials. According to the No to Military Trials Campaign, more than ten thousand civilians have received prison sentences through military prosecution in the past six months.
Is Egypt on the way to representative democracy, or a military dictatorship? The truth is likely somewhere in between these two extremes. I would not be surprised if the next stage of Egyptian government looked something like Turkey in the 1990s: an elected parliament and a Prime Minister who serves at the pleasure of the military.