Egypt: Court Upholds Muslim Brotherhood Ban

An Egyptian court has upheld a ruling that banned the Muslim Brotherhood and ordered its assets confiscated.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s oldest and most influential Islamist group, was banned in September after President Mohamed Morsi was toppled by the army following mass protests against his government on July 3.

Osama el-Helw, a Brotherhood lawyer, said the group will appeal the September 23 ruling, which was reported by the state MENA news agency.

In the initial verdict, the court ordered the Brotherhood’s assets seized until criminal courts delivered their verdicts in the ongoing trials of the group’s leaders and members.

Egypt’s military-backed authorities have formed a committee to review the Muslim Brotherhood assets, but have not moved against its finances until the verdict is final.

The leftist Tagammu party had issued a counter suit asking the court to dismiss the Brotherhood’s motion.

Many Muslim Brotherhood figures and allies – including Mohamed el-Beltagy, Essam el-Erian and Morsi himself – face charges in connection to clashes last December outside the presidential palace that left at least 10 people dead.