Editor’s note: The following is translated excerpts of a recent message delivered by lawyer Amir Salem to the Copts of Egypt in light of the unjust Abu Qorqas ruling
I call upon all Egyptians to immediately join the mainstream patriotic current. I urge them to vote neither for the fox nor for the wolf, and responsibly to discern deceitful claims. I particularly call upon Copts … Wake up Copts and realize that neither the religious state nor the policing state will show you any mercy. Furthermore, I warn Copts that the police state will not protect them. Copts should remember that under the rule of a police state they were never safe… Sectarian sedition was rife throughout the rule of this police state… Christians were attacked and their homes burned and nobody bothered to do them justice… unrestrained and unpunished assaults, looting and robbery of Christians’ shops, businesses and homes.
Here, I recall that only three days ago, on the eve of the elections, a court ruling was issued in the Abu Qorqas sectarian events which took place in April 2011. After procrastinating for all these months, suddenly, a judge comes out of the blue and without listening to eyewitnesses’ testimonies or studying cogent physical evidence, he issued an unexpected, extremely warped and legally unsound verdict. The whole case was nothing but a crowd and a petty brawl. In the midst of the crowd there were suddenly claims that two people on the rooftop of an Islamic institute were killed. Twelve Christians and about ten Muslims were apprehended.
The great judge… [He speaks sarcastically so the host stops him to assert full respect for the judiciary and court rulings, but he retorts:] I don’t believe that the judiciary is sacred… and I basically don’t believe Egypt has a judiciary system as the judiciary system in Egypt is extremely flawed. How can a judge allow his bailiff to stand next to him in the courtroom with his bushy beard down to his chest … the picture can be seen on YouTube… [Another guest interjects that the judiciary system in Egypt is infiltrated by Islamists]. Then the judge gives a sentence on accusations of: rallying, instigating rallying, possession of weapons and ammunition—with no proof as the said weapons were not found or confiscated [Someone interjects: this is not misdemeanor… these accusations suggest a crime and the trial should be by a criminal court, so Amir Salem affirms:] Of course a crime and a State Security one, and also manslaughter… which did not happen in reality … and the judge sentences twelve Christians … and note here that the investigating officer wrote on his investigation sheet “The Christian Alaa Roshdi” referring to the first defendant who is an attorney at the court of cassation [other guests express indignation].
Although the penal code is very clear, maximum sentence for rallying is 3 months or six months, rallying is nothing …there is a revolution in the country… then instigation…what… maximum sentence is one year… then manslaughter… nobody is killed, then what …five years maximum… and possession of weapons entails nothing but to pay a fine and the weapon to be confiscated [the host interrupts: but you said two were killed, and Salem replies:] there is no proof connecting those twelve Christians to the two who were killed—Christians were hiding inside their homes because they were under attack, their homes were torched up and their shops looted; also the Salafists and members of the Gamaa Islamiyya [Islamic Group] squatted the Christians’ property and built a mosque on it to the extent that the army had to go and remove the encroachment and return the property to its lawful owners.
After all that, the judge gives the twelve Christians a life sentence with 5 years parole after the end of the sentence [voices of disbelief]. This is a message to instigate sectarian strife!
Then, another guest asks about the Muslims who were apprehended in the same incidents and Salem mockingly says “all ten Muslims were acquitted and freed!”
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgfcZxl1tIA&;feature=player_embedded