Only in Egypt are presidential phone calls regarded as a crime

The Yemeni activist and Nobel peace laureate, Tawakkol Karman, has said that accusations of “spying” against President Mohamed Morsi are a “farce”. She pointed out that establishing international contacts is part of the job. “Doesn’t the elected president have the right to utilise his power by creating understanding, holding discussions and negotiations, and communicating with partners around the world?” she asked.

In her commentary on her Facebook page, the Nobel laureate said that the prosecution in Egypt has “stunned” everyone with the charge. It assumes, she insisted, that the man who was elected in democratic elections by the majority of the people and granted the powers of his office was not actually the president of Egypt.

“As long as the president’s calls and contacts are considered to be ‘spying’ then it means very clearly that he could not practice any of the other powers that are assigned to any president in the world,” wrote Karman. “It also means that all those presidential powers and functions had been practiced by someone else who could be called ‘the president of the president’, and that person is still wielding that power!” She asked for the name of this “extraordinary Pharaonic” leader. “It deserves to be in the Guinness Book of World Records.”

Ms Karman suggested that the “president of the president” is the same person who ordered the intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on President Morsi’s calls and ordered his trial today. “It’s that person’s gang which is in control today and was in control then,” she concluded.