The Interior Ministry is committed to implementing Wednesday’s court ruling to provide presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu Ismail with documents related to the nationality of his mother, the ministry said Thursday.
The ministry said it is not a party in the proceeding, and it respects judicial rulings and is impartial to all presidential candidates.
The Administrative Court had accepted the lawsuit filed by Abu Ismail that challenged the ministry’s claim his mother, Nawal Abdel Aziz Nour, carried US citizenship, a fact that would bar his presidential bid, according to Egyptian law.
Last week, the Presidential Elections Commission said it received documents from the Interior Ministry indicating that Nour entered Egypt on a US passport before. Also, press reports mentioned that the US sent documents proving she was a registered voter.
However, the court said in its rationale that all the documents submitted by the Interior Ministry contained no proof of any foreign nationality.
State-run news agency MENA quoted Abu Ismail as saying that he received an official copy of the verdict.
Since the announcement of his candidacy, Abu Ismail has gained popularity, especially among young Salafis. He promised to apply Sharia while respecting the rights of the Coptic minority.
He has on a number of occasions accused the US and the Egyptian authorities of trying to obstruct his candidacy.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
