Muslim Brotherhood has had no legal presence since 1954: court

CAIRO – 26 February 2019: Cairo Administrative Court upheld a decree dissolving the Muslim Brotherhood group, designated by the state as a terrorist organization, saying that the group has had no constitutional or legal presence since 1954, according to media reports.

The court said that the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council of the July 23 revolution issued a decree in 1954 to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood and confiscate its money and assets. Moreover, Cairo Court of Urgent Matters imposed in 2013 a ban on the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and confiscated all its property.

The Egyptian authorities have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in December 2013, a few months after the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated former President Mohamed Morsi and the dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins.

Saudi Arabia has formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in 2014.

Thirteen years after the success of July 23 revolution, which abolished the monarchy, late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the revolution’s top leaders, described the Muslim Brotherhood in one of his speeches as people who exploit religion to obtain people’s support and seize power.

The late president said that the Muslim Brotherhood has never held the patriotic feelings which Egyptians have always held, adding: “The Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood at the time when we were fighting in the Canal was asked: what is your stance on the war in the canal? He said: We are a wide (international) call. Perhaps the war in the canal comes for your benefit here in Egypt, while we think it is beneficial to fight in another country.”