Regarding the article titled "Mass death sentences now a part of life in Egypt" in the June 5 edition, let me first clarify that the defendants who were previously or recently condemned by the Egyptian High Court are being tried before a normal court, and not an extraordinary court. In all cases, the defendants have the right to contest the sentence in front of the Court of Cassation. The public prosecutor has the right to appeal against the ruling, even if the defense does not. The Court of Cassation has also the right to repeal the ruling and refer it to a different court for a retrial.
On the other hand, most of the defendants in those cases have been tried in absentia. Therefore, in the case of showing up before the court, the verdict will be repealed and they will have the right for a retrial.
The writer formulated an inappropriate argument built on emotional appeals, most appallingly by comparing Egypt to Adolf Hitler's Nazis or Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge, with specific reference to Rab'a Square sit-in dispersal. The figures provided by the writer are very far from reality and attempt to mislead the reader. A judicial fact-finding committee was established following the dispersal of the sit-in, where they presented a report in this regard containing all the facts and figures.
It's worth mentioning that the figures declared by the Muslim Brotherhood themselves, which are still exaggerated, are much less than what the writer provided.
What is truly surprising is the fact that the writer steps up to defend those accused of committing terrorist acts, and was neglectful in condemning or even referring to the circumstances of their role in the prison break case and the number of victims from police forces and prisoners during their escape from prison. He also failed to condemn several heinous terrorist acts committed by the Muslim Brotherhood, including the killing of more than 600 police officers, and more recently the three innocent judges who were killed right after the last verdict.
Finally, the June 30, 2013, revolution was an unprecedented act of mass civic engagement by 30 million Egyptians who took to the streets to call for a new transitional government and stood against tyranny, extreme economic collapse, civil strife and blatant nepotism. Subsequently, the transitional government, with the support of the general public, enacted the "Road Map," comprised of three integral steps. It implemented drafting Egypt's constitution that was put into force by the referendum in 2014, conducted the presidential election, and will conduct the parliamentary elections before the end of this year.
Despite malicious stories the journey will continue with more steps for a better tomorrow for Egypt.
TOKYO
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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