Egypt Requests Nasrallah Join Hizbullah Cell Suspects
The Egyptian Supreme Court of Emergency State Security, which is looking into the so-called Hizbullah cell, has demanded that Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "personally" join the 26 suspects whose trial has been adjourned till Nov. 21.
Lawyers Abdel-Monem al-Damanhuri and Tareq Metwalli demanded to add Nasrallah”s name as a prime suspect in the Hizbullah cell and 2001 pounds ($364) temporary compensation.
They said Nasrallah and other suspects” plans to carry out terrorist acts against Egypt had "inflicted damage on them."
Nasrallah has admitted sending an agent to supervise arms shipments to Hamas in Gaza during the latest war with Israel, but has denied seeking to harm Egypt”s security.
Prosecutors said 18 of the suspects provided Hizbullah with information about Suez Canal schedules, security details as well as information about tourist destinations in the Sinai Peninsula.
Defense lawyers for a trial of the 26 suspects charged with spying for Hizbullah quit Wednesday after claiming the court was not impartial.
Egyptian judicial officials said the lawyers abandoned their task after the chief judge rejected their demand for the case to be reviewed by another court.
Defense lawyer Montazar al-Zayyat said "we had our doubts about the court and now they proved right."
He said the lawyers will resume their functions if the court accepts their demands, including allowing families of the defendants to attend the closed door trial.