Egyptian court delays ruling on Hamas as a 'terrorist organisation'

An Egyptian court has delayed making a decision about declaring the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, to be a “terrorist organisation”. The hearing at the Court for Urgent Matters has been adjourned until next week, legal sources said. Egyptian law allows a court to have three such adjournments.

The decision is necessary for a case brought by lawyer Sameer Sabri, who has filed a complaint against the interim President Adly Mansour, his Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim for not designating Hamas as a “terrorist” group.

“Hamas was established as an Islamic resistance organisation in Palestine,” said Sabri, “but changed into a terrorist organisation.” His complaint documents note the movement’s strong relations with the “terrorist” Muslim Brotherhood.

Since the military coup in Egypt last year, the mass media, which supports the coup, has been carrying out an intense propaganda campaign against Hamas and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has protested against this demonisation and said that it harms the image of the Palestinian resistance which is aimed only at the Israeli occupation.