Approximately 150 members from the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in parliament, independent candidates and activists from Kefaya, the 6 April Youth Movement, and Mesreyat Maa el–Taghyeer (Egyptian Women for Change), protested yesterday before parliament calling on Fathi Sorour, the People’s Assembly speaker, to strip Nashaat el–Qassas and Ahmed Abu Aqrab, MPs from the National Democratic Party, of parliamentary immunity.
Nashaat el–Qassas and Ahmed Abu Aqrab recently called on the police to shoot protesters, saying the way police deal with protests is too lenient.
The protesters called for permission to organize a peaceful march leading from Omar Makram Mosque in Tahrir Square to Maglis el–Shaab Street on 3 May in order for officials to evidence their good intentions.
They urged other groups of workers and people with special needs to join them in their protest.
Mohamed el–Beltagui, secretary general for the Muslim Brotherhood bloc, independent MP Gamal Zahran, and Ayman Nour, former president of the Ghad Party, submitted a request to Sorour urging him to strip Abu Aqrab and el–Qassas of parliamentary immunity.
According to the request, Article 360 of the People’s Assembly’s by-laws states that an MP should be stripped of his/her immunity if he/she is sued, or if incriminating evidence is presented against him/her.
Hamdi Hassan, media spokesperson for the Brotherhood bloc, said the Brotherhood and the opposition believe that the action against Abu Aqrab and el–Qassas is unlikely to yield any results since the NDP has the majority of seats in parliament.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
