Egyptian media has reported comments by a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood living in the UK who said that 1000 Brotherhood members and other “prisoners of conscience” are waiting for a general pardon so they can return from Egypt. According to a report in Al-Masry Al-Youm:
The spokesperson for the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, Ibrahim Mounir, said he, 1000 Brotherhood members and various other prisoners of conscience are waiting for a general pardon to feel they can return safely to Egypt. Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm from his London home, Mounir said he lives with the hope of returning to Cairo, which he left 25 years ago. Returning to Egypt depends on whether the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces decides to issue a pardon for all prisoners of conscience exiled by Hosni Mubarak’s ousted regime. Mounir called on the army to quickly abolish Emergency Law, which he said threatens all Egyptians. Asked if he would practice politics if a pardon is issued, he said he will await an assignment from the Brotherhood in Egypt, and work from London or Cairo depending on the instructions he receives. Asked about how Britons regard Egypt after the revolution, Mounir said a British officer saluted an Egyptian passenger on the metro on finding out she was Egyptian. Egyptians feel proud after the revolution, he added. The Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition organization, announced earlier this month that it will set up a civil political party if restrictions are lifted but insists it will not field a presidential candidate.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
Previous posts have provided background on Ibrahim Mounir, a Muslim Brotherhood leader living in exile in the UK, and his role in a money-laundering trial carried out under the regime of Hosni Mubarak.