By Editors of Al-Ahram

Translated By Matthew Simonds

August 7, 2008



Egypt - Al-Ahram - Original Article (Arabic)

If the United States has officially announced that it will not set the defendants free at the Guantanamo prison camp even if acquitted by the court, contrary to usual legal practice, then it has no right to criticize the ruling of the Egyptian judiciary to imprison Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim for two years on charges of defaming Egypt’s reputation. As the proverb says: “If your house is made of glass, then don’t throw rocks at others.”

The ruling which was issued against Dr. Ibrahim is based no doubt on legal evidence, and the judge did not issue it haphazardly. The principle of things is that we respect the ruling of the judiciary, and the ruling is not final and is still subject to appeal. He will either be found innocent or his guilty verdict will be upheld. He will be convicted or his sentence will be commuted. For that reason it is necessary not to rush matters or jump over things or make haphazard accusations or always assume that there is an evil intent against this person or that.

The law is the law, and each state has its own private affairs and circumstances, and it has the right to enact whatever legislation it wishes in order to preserve social peace, and to organize the rights of its citizens. As long as the law applies to everyone without exception, no one has the right to come in and criticize its application to some individual who is supposed to know the provisions and penalties of the law and must abide by its regulations so that he [does] not expose himself to interrogation.