Dual-citizen Muslim Brotherhood (MB) leaders, who were sentenced to death or have been detained pending investigations, will not cede their Egyptian nationality to be freed, MB lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud told The Cairo Post Saturday.
In November 2014, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi issued a decree allowing him to extradite non-Egyptian detainees to be tried or serve a sentence in their home countries in accordance with Egypt’s national interest.
“Renouncing the Egyptian citizenship is not a negotiable matter,” said Abdel Maqsoud.
In April 2015, MB former spokesperson Gehad al-Haddad was sentenced to life over charges of inciting violence and burning police station following the dispersal of pro-MB sit-ins in 2013.
Haddad and his father, Essam, who served as Morsi’s foreign affairs advisor, hold British-Egyptian nationality.
Abdel Maqsoud ruled out they plan to renounce their Egyptian nationality to be freed from jail.
U.S.-Egyptian political activist Mohamed Sultan has benefited from Sisi’s decree as he was released Saturday after he relinquished his Egyptian nationality. Sultan was on hunger strike for around 490 days, in protest against his trial and a life sentence.
“The case of Mohamed Sultan is exceptional and he does not belong to the Muslim Brotherhood although his father Salah is an MB member,” said Abdel-Maqsoud.
Morsi’s son, Abdullah, currently jailed since Sep. 2014 over “drug possession” charges also holds a dual nationality. Abdel Maqdoud; Abullah’s lawyer has ruled out that his client plan to drop his nationality simply because “his jail term will be over in a month.”
Although he has no dual citizenship, Morsi’s aide Khaled al-Qazaz was released due to poor health condition and was expected to travel to Canada where his Egyptian-Canadian wife and children live. His wife asked the Canadian authorities to intervene for his release. However, according to a statement published on Free Khaled AlQazaz campaign, he is still not allowed to leave Egypt.
There are number of MB members who holde dual citizenships but they are abroad including MB General Secretary Mahmmoud Hussein and Chairperson of the International Union of the Muslim Scholars Yusuf al-Qaradawy.
Former president Mohamed Morsi, who hails from the MB group, was ousted in July 2013 by the military following mass protests against his rule.
In December 2013, Egypt’s interim government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.
