Supreme State Security prosecutors on Monday ordered the release of Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and Ossama Nasr, both leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) opposition movement’s authoritative Guidance Bureau, along with seven other group members.
The men had been detained for five months pending investigation in what has come to be known as "the case of the international cell," in which Abul Fotouh — along with 22 others — was charged with receiving funds from abroad for a "banned group."
According to a judicial source, the case remains open, with five more suspects still in detention pending investigation.
MB sources, however, say that Abul Fotouh was the last group member to be released.
"I was released without bail," said Abul Fotouh. "The whole episode was little more than a warning by the regime to the brotherhood."
MB General Guide Mahdi Akef welcomed Abul Fotouh home, going on to deny that any deals had been struck with the authorities in return for the latter’s release.
On whether he expected the release of other MB detainees, Akef said: "It’s difficult to determine the precise intentions of Egypt’s security services."
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
