Muslim Brotherhood lists reasons for boycotting 30 June fact-finding committee

Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Ali Bishr announced he would not meet with the chairman of the 30 June fact-finding committee because of the latter’s “politicisation of the meeting.”

Lawyer Hoda Abdelmonem, a member in the legal committee of the Anti-Coup Alliance, released a statement clarifying the reasons for boycotting the committee, including the government’s harassment of those who provided testimonies and fabricating charges for others.

She pointed out that the committee has politicised the testimonies and depicted them in the media as a sign of recognising the current authorities, considered “illegitimate” by the opposition.

She also accused the chairman of the committee, Fouad Riyad, of openly supporting the counter-revolution, and said the committee has adopted the government’s position towards the detainees and attacked NGO reports, including the Human Rights Watch report on the Rabaa massacre, which indicates it lost its impartiality.

Abdelmonem added that the committee has not transparently disclosed its findings to the public opinion and civil society.

The committee, she said, has not promised any protection of the witnesses and the families of victims.

In a separate statement, Thanaa Abdel-Jawad, the wife of jailed Brotherhood leader Mohamed al-Beltagi, said that the committee has lost its credibility and that there are fears it would issue a fabricated report which exonerates the culprits in the security services and blames the victims, which would derail justice.

She also criticised the fact that the report will be submitted to the main suspect in this probe, namely ex-army chief and president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, accused by Morsi supporters and international rights groups of orchestrating the mass killing of protesters.

On 22 December, a presidential decree ordered the formation of an independent commission, led by Judge Fouad Abdelmonem Riyad, to collect information and evidence on the post-30 June events.

The commission is tasked with investigating several incidents, including the dispersal of Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins and the burning of churches, university riots and the attempt to disrupt the Suez Canal waterway.

The commission is scheduled to complete its work by 21 September.