Egypt Court Advised to Dissolve Brotherhood NGO

An Egyptian judicial panel advised a court to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood as a legally registered non-governmental organization on Monday, posing a legal challenge to the group as the army-backed government presses a crackdown.

The case brought by Brotherhood opponents is seeking the dissolution of the NGO registered by the movement in March. The court hearing the case set its next session for November 12, judicial sources said.

The movement behind deposed President Mohamed Morsi formally registered itself as an NGO in response to a lawsuit that argued that it had no legal status.

The Brotherhood was founded in 1928 and formally dissolved by Egypt’s army rulers in 1954. The judicial panel’s recommendation is not binding on the court.

The Brotherhood operated for decades as a formally outlawed organization until veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was deposed in 2011. The movement then won a series of elections culminating in last year’s presidential vote.

The military deposed Morsi on July 3 after mass protests against his rule. Since then, most of the Brotherhood’s top leadership has been arrested and face charges of inciting violence. Morsi was himself referred to trial on Sunday on that charge.

Source: Reuters