Egypt changes military trial of civilians charged with leaking Sisi videos to Thursday
Amr al-Qazzaz and Islam al-Homsi, a co-founder and a senior manager of Rassd, an online news network linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, face charges of attempting to defame the armed forces through publishing leaked videos of al-Sisi.
"The session was adjourned because the two defendants failed to appear in court," lawyer Ahmed Helmi told Anadolu Agency.
According to Article 204 of Egypt's new constitution, the military-judiciary authority is solely responsible for crimes related to the armed forces and military personnel.
Civilians, the article adds, can be prosecuted by the military-judiciary for crimes committed against the army, which should be defined by the law.
The article drew criticism from several local and international rights organizations and protest groups.
In late January, the military-backed interim government amended the law to allow appeals.
The Rassd news network, along with the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera Mubashir Misr news channel, had aired several leaked videos and audio clips of recorded statements by al-Sisi, who is widely seen as the chief architect of last summer's ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi.
In one such video, said to have been recorded last December, the army chief warns of far-reaching consequences if the military were to intervene in Egypt's domestic politics.
The Egyptian Armed Forces never addressed any of the leaks.
By Hussein Qabani
Egypt's new government lineup will decide Sisi's presidential bid: Observers
Although outgoing Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi linked his cabinet's Monday resignation to a recent wave of labor unrest, some observers believe the move has more to do with an anticipated presidential bid by army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
"The new cabinet lineup will reveal whether al-Sisi will run for president or not," political analyst Saed Sadek told Anadolu Agency.
"If al-Sisi remains defense minister, it means he won't run for president in the next presidential election," Sadek said.
Speculation has been rife as to whether al-Sisi would run in upcoming polls, dates for which have yet to be set.
Pressure has mounted for al-Sisi, who is currently riding a wave of popularity, to make a bid for the presidency. He has yet to announce, however, whether or not he would vie for Egypt's top office.
Al-Beblawi, whose government was sworn in last July, submitted his government's resignation earlier Monday. He linked the move to rampant labor unrest, adding that Egypt continued to face "major challenges."
Mukhtar Ghobashi, director of the Arab Center for Political and Strategic Studies, a local think tank, doubts the new cabinet will include al-Sisi as defense minister. He believes the army chief has already decided to make a run for the presidency.
A recent amendment to Egypt's transitional roadmap, which was imposed by the army following the July 3 ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi, calls for holding presidential elections before parliamentary polls.
Prominent political analyst Wahid Abdel-Meguid, for his part, agrees that al-Sisi has already decided to run for president. Abdel-Meguid expects the top general to formally announce his presidential candidacy imminently.
According to some reports, the defense minister has already begun preparing his presidential election campaign.
On Sunday, television presenter Ibrahim Eissa said al-Sisi had already met with several public figures and tasked them with preparing the ground for his presidential bid.
According to Eissa, these figures include former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, veteran journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, prominent filmmaker Khaled Youssef, and presidential aide Mustafa Hegazi.
By Hazem Badr
englishnews@aa.com.tr
