Afghanistan'returnees' sentenced

By Mona El-Nahhas

On 3 April, the court referred the dossiers of Mustafa Hamza, the Gama'a's military commander who is believed to reside in Afghanistan, and Said Abdel-Hakim to the Grand Mufti of the Republic. The Mufti's approval is a technicality, required under Egyptian law before anyone is sentenced to death. On Monday, Baddour said the court had gained the mufti's approval.

Reactions to the verdicts were mixed. The defendants' lawyer, Saad Hasaballah, said they were "tough and harsh." The defendants, who believe they are fighting for a holy cause, cheered while the relatives of those convicted broke down in tears. Relatives of the six who were acquitted rejoiced.

The defendants were accused of joining an illegal group that seeks to overthrow the government and establish a strict Islamic state. They were said to have received para-military training in Afghanistan and Sudan in preparation for carrying out terrorist attacks in Egypt. They were also accused of killing, or the attempt to kill, tourists, policemen and government officials. Most were arrested in late 1995 and were held in detention until their trial opened last year.

The death sentence against Hamza was the third he has received in absentia. He was previously sentenced to death by a military court in Alexandria in December 1992 and by a Cairo military tribunal in November 1993. Hamza is believed to have been involved in the 1995 assassination attempt on President Hosni Mubarak in Addis Ababa.

Abdel-Hakim, standing in an iron cage along with the other defendants, told Al-Ahram Weekly that, even though he belonged to Al-Gama'a, he was innocent. "I never did anything that deserves a death sentence," he said.

But, he added, "I am not afraid because my confidence in God's justice is unlimited. I am sure that God will help us sooner or later." Abdel-Hakim insisted that he had chosen the right path and had no regrets.

Mohamed Abdel-Fattah Radwan, who got life imprisonment with hard labour, said that he had hoped for a death sentence. "But I'm happy with the verdict. I'm not worried about my two children because I left them in God's hands."

Judge Baddour, who is known for giving harsh sentences against militants, is believed to be on the top of Al-Gama'a's most wanted list. The sentences were passed under tight security measures. Journalists and media personnel were thoroughly searched before they entered the courtroom.

Before Baddour entered, the defendants raised banners declaring support for their leaders in Egypt and abroad. Some brandished copies of the Qur'an while others shouted anti-government slogans.