The Tamarod campaign has said that the constitutional material regarding military trials of civilians is the maximum that the Committee of 50 could arrive at for this delicate stage.
Once stability and democracy are attained, the campaign added, then the two-third parliamentary majority can amend it.
Mohamed Abdel Aziz, responsible for political communication, said article 198 of the Brotherhood Constitution stipulated that “civilians may not stand trial before military courts except in crimes that harm the armed forces,” while the draft of the Commission of 10 said “except in direct assaults on the armed forces.”
“These texts are ambiguous and could be misinterpreted,” he said. “We took into account the demands of the revolution to prevent the trial of civilians before military courts and at the same time defeat the terrorism that targets the armed forces.”
He said the direct crimes against the armed forces were clearly specified. “This is the best we can do at this delicate stage,” he said.
For its part, the 6 April Movement rejected the article and threatened to mobilize protesters against the constitution.
The movement issued a statement rejecting the militarization of the state. “People have the right to trials before the normal judiciary,” the statement said.
“We rejected the Brotherhood constitution for that,” said movement founder Ahmed Maher.
Mohamed Salmawy, spokesperson for the Committee of 50, said it was the Brotherhood that gave the president the constitutional right to appoint the defense minister with the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for a period of two full terms because they wanted to control the army. “They could bring a group member to head the army. We must protect the military institution now, considering what is happening in Sinai” he said. “We must also preserve the independence of the army of any political or partisan power.”
“Now, the defense minister is chosen from among the armed forces,” he added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
