The 6th of April Youth Movement on Friday denied a New York Times report that the movement received assistance from American organizations to help democratic development in Egypt during the reign of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
In a statement, the movement said that since its establishment in 2008 it has depended on Egyptian youth, membership fees and in-kind donations from Egyptians. The statement categorically denied receiving funds from any foreign entities.
The movement dismissed the article, published on Friday, saying it cited ousted members of the movement and documents of questionable credibility.
The New York Times claimed that American organizations such as Freedom House trained members from the 6th of April Movement in the use of communications technology and social networks for organization and political awareness purposes.
The movement said the content of the article does not fit with the position adopted by the US State Department during the 25 January revolution, citing US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 26 January statement which described the situation in Egypt as stable and said the US had trust in Mubarak’s regime.
The movement severely criticized the US administration, saying it is seeking to polish the image of Barack Obama in the lead-up to the US presidential election by presenting him as a supporter of freedom in the world.
The movement threatened to sue any entity which seeks to ruin its image, calling on anyone who has evidence against it to present it to Egypt's attorney general.
