MILITARY COUP IN EGYPT CONDEMNABLE, RESTORE ELECTED PRESIDENT AND PARLIAMENT, FORM NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT, RELEASE ARRESTED LEADERS, LIFT BAN ON AL JAZEERA AND OTHER CHANNELS
Egypt Solidarity Forum expresses its grave concern and condemns military leadership’s decision to remove first elected civilian president of Egypt who was elected by majority of Egyptians in free and fair election. The Forum condemns and considers the declaration as ‘military coup’ at the behest of anti-revolution forces of Mubarak era who are still struggling to capture power in Egypt. The forum considers that the settlement of ongoing crisis was only through respecting legitimacy of the elected president and by forming a national unity government for which President Mohammed Morsi had already offered but his offer was ignored by the military leadership. Those who fought hard for democracy and took part in election, regardless of their choices, are deceived by this military coup.The forum is concerned about the start of arbitrary arrest campaign launched against Islamic leaders of Muslim Brotherhood and its political parties and activists. News about burning of its offices and violence against its activists and torture by police on street is matter of serious concern.
The forum strongly condemns military leaderships’ decision to suspend all media organizations allegedly affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and ban on Muslim Brotherhood leadership’s movement in Egypt and outside.
The forum demands from military general Abdal Fattah Sisi and other military leaders:
- To lift ban from all media organizations mainly Al Jazeera, Masr 25, Al-Nas and Al-Hafez which were shut down after military declaration
- . To stop arbitrary arrest and torture campaign against leaders and activists of Muslim Brotherhood and Freedom and Justice Party and to release immediately chairman of freedom and Justice Party Dr. Saad Al Katatni and other leaders.
- To cancel the declaration and restore elected president and the parliament and declare a national unity government
- To start broad based dialogue among all political factions of Egypt to find a political and constitutional solution
- The forum also appeals all Egyptians, liberals, Islamists and others to restrain from violence against each other and to protect Egypt from military dictatorship.
- The forum also appeals international community, the Arab League, The United Nations and other countries to support civilian government elected by the people of Egypt and not to deal secretly with military as they have done in the past
