Egypt accuses 26 Islamists, 3 Britons of wanting to topple government
Egypt, Politics, 8/5/2002

The Egyptian attorney general, advisor Maher Abdul Wahid, decided to bring 26 persons from the Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic liberation party), including three Britons to the supreme state security court on several charges, mainly "joining an opposition secret organization" and trying to topple the government with the aim to establish the "Islamic Khilafa."

An Egyptian judicial source explained that the three Britons are Rida Bankhorest, Eyan Malcolm; and Majid Nawaz, adding that Abdul Wahid also decided to release a fourth British citizen, Hassan Rizfi, who was arrested with the other three on April 11 in Alexandria and Cairo.

The Islamic liberation party in Britain had stressed the arrest of three out of four Britons ( in their 20 s ) belong to the party. The British foreign office, on the other hand, stressed bringing three of British nationality to the state security court in Egypt.

The three Egyptians were arrested in different times, and attorney general decided to release 60 persons accused of being involved in this case because "enough evidences are not provided to bring them before the court." The Judicial source said that one of the Egyptian convicts stressed in his confessions that he had joined the party in 1983 because he is convinced on the need to found the Islamic Khilafa state, noting that he was able to " convince many people of that."

He added that the British Bankhorest "admitted to joining the party and organizing cells in Egypt." He also admitted that booklets were prepared for circulation. He explained that the other British Nawaz admitted of calling for changing Muslim rulers in all the Arab states."

As for Malcolm, a computer engineer, he "admitted calling for founding the Islamic Khilafa according to the thoughts and principles of the party." He stressed that Egypt is "Daar Kufer" (a house of non believers). The source denied any link between these individuals and al-Qaida organization.

The Egyptian authorities banned the Islamic liberation party in 1974 following the foundation of the military academy. The said party calls for founding an Islamic state in central Asia. It includes thousands of members and is considered among the most active secret Islamic movements in central Asia region.

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