CAIRO – 2 May 2018: Kamal Al-Helbawi, former spokesperson of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and member of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), apologized Wednesday from attending the monthly meeting of the NCHR as he is currently receiving medical treatment in London.

On Apr. 28, Helbawi made a TV appearance on the Turkish-based MB-affiliated television channel Mekameleen on Friday as he called for a reconciliation initiative with the brotherhood.

The initiative stirred anger among Egypt’s political society as some politicians demanded an immediate trial for him. Some politicians deems this move as an exposure to his true intentions, as calling for reconciliation with the brotherhood contradicts his criticism for it over the last four years.

During the NCHR meeting, members of the council agreed that Helbawi only spoke for himself when he called for the initiative, stressing that the council has nothing to do with what Helbawi claimed.

Helbawi contacted the channel via Skype from London and announced his initiative, which will commence by forming a Council of Elders of Arab and Egyptian experts and renowned figures.

Moreover, lawyer Samir Sabry filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to Attorney General Nabil Sadek to include Helbawi to the terror list.

Sabry said that, over the last few days, Helbawi has demanded that the Egyptian government reconcile with the Muslim Brotherhood and described members of the Brotherhood, especially its founder Hassan al-Banna, as the greatest personalities on the 20th century.

Al-Helbawi was raised among a Muslim Brotherhood community. He is the founder of the Muslim Council in Britain, secretary-general of the Islamic Unity Forum in Europe and was the advisor to the Egyptian Salvation Front, which got dissolved after the Jan. 25 Revolution.

The Muslim Council in Britain is a U.K. umbrella organization comprised largely of Muslim Brotherhood organizations.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on Jul. 26, 2013 he said, “The army is the only institution capable of maintaining law and order in Egypt.”

Helbawi is the former official spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West; he resined from the organization to support dissent member of the brotherhood Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh who got sacked when he announced his candidacy.

Abol Fotouh was the favored Egyptian presidential candidate of Global Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Additional reporting by Mohamed Ismail & Mahmoud Al-Emari