Egyptian authorities have officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood and three of its leaders as terrorist entities through a judicial decree published in the Official Gazette. This move signifies a sustained security and judicial confrontation with the group, intensifying legal measures aimed at disrupting its funding and activities within the country.
The decision specifically names Abdulrahman Hassan Mohamed Melligy, Gamal Abdel Hamid Gomaa Abdul Hamid, and Osama Ibrahim Mohamed Mustafa El Rakh as designated leaders. This inclusion follows final and unappealable judicial rulings against them, as reported by the Official Gazette.
The designation of the group and its leaders on terrorist lists mandates a comprehensive set of legal actions. These include a ban on the entity and its associated activities, the closure of its offices, prohibition of meetings and events organized by the group, and the prevention of any direct or indirect collection or receipt of funds and assets on its behalf.
This judicial action is part of an extended security and legal campaign undertaken by Egypt against the Muslim Brotherhood since July 2013, following the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi, a member of the group. The campaign was initiated in the wake of widespread popular protests demanding an end to his rule. Since then, the group has been in open conflict with Egyptian authorities, leading to the prosecution of its leaders and members, with some facing judicial sentences and others fleeing the country.
Previously, Egyptian authorities had extended the group's designation on terrorist entity lists for an additional five years. This extension, based on a ruling by the Cairo Criminal Court and requested by the Public Prosecution, commenced upon the expiry of the previous designation period, which concluded on August 26, 2021. The extension decision referenced listing order No. 17 of 2021, filed under terrorist entity listing No. 4 of 2021, originating from Supreme State Security case No. 1233 of 2019, along with its resultant legal implications throughout the duration of the designation.
The latest decision underscores Egypt's continued approach to curtailing the organizational and financial structure of the Muslim Brotherhood through judicial channels and legal measures designed to prevent the reactivation of its networks or the provision of resources for its activities, particularly given its ongoing classification as a terrorist entity within Egypt.
