Independent MP Hamdy al-Fakhrany has filed a lawsuit to demand the closure of the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters nationwide, state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported.
The newspaper’s website reported that Fakhrany filed the lawsuit at a State Council administrative court against Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.
Fakhrany said that the Muslim Brotherhood established its main headquarters in the Cairo suburb of Moqattam, as well as a number of other headquarters nationwide, adding that the Moqattam office has become a “political attraction” although the group has been illegal since the 1950s.
Fakhrany said that the group is not legally recognized and thus there is no legal basis for the opening of these headquarters, which should be closed until the group is recognized.
Before the 25 January revolution, Hosni Mubarak’s regime labeled the Brotherhood a “prohibited group” under law no.84 of 2002, which regulates the work of non-governmental organizations. Legal experts have described the law as repressive.
Parliament has received many suggestions on how to amend the NGO law and the Cabinet has been drafting a new law to replace it.
The Brotherhood has been engaged in politics illegally since it was outlawed in 1954 under the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
The Egyptian authorities approved the creation of the Brotherhood’s political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, in June 2011.
In February, Social Democratic Party MP Sana Saeed requested for Parliament to question the prime minister, social affairs minister and justice minister about the illegal status of the Brotherhood.
Edited Translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
