Libya Islamists observe a sit in inside the hall of al-Shaab court
Libya, Politics, 4/8/2004

The Libyan security forces escorted by special forces are besieging al-Shaab court, to the south of Tripoli, in preparation to break into it in order to end the sit-in announced by members of the Muslim Brothers group since Wednesday morning.

The sit in decision came after the court decided to postpone the trial of members of the group detained since 1988 until November 25th this year.

Witnesses said that the 152 members of the group refused to get out of the court and decided to observe the sit-in inside its halls in protest of the postponement decision and continued imprisonment, under the pretext of banning " party's membership " against the state. A matter which very often is taken by the authorities as a pretext to execute and jail its opposition.

Worthy mentioning that the sit-in Islamists group inside the halls of the court, including the economists Abdullah Shameyah, the chairman of the economic research, intellectuals, university teachers and engineers and doctors were held in the Summer of 1988 over forming a political organization in contradiction for a law which considers " party membership " as a crime and is punished by death penalty.

Reports indicate that the prisoners started a hunger strike since several days in Abu Salim prison where they are held in protest of their continued imprisonment and trial by the al-Shaab court which is denounced by the international human rights organizations, foremost the Amnesty International.

In its session of February 16, 2002, al-Shaab court sentenced to death each of the general observer of the Muslim Brothers, Abdullah Ezz Eddin, and others to life imprisonment and held other 66 as not guilty, but still be brought before the court.

In the first reaction to the sit-in and the strike observed by the prisoners, the Monitor organization which takes Manchester as a headquarters urged the Amnesty International and the human rights committee in the British parliament and all defenders if human rights to urgently interfere to protect the sit-in persons and to make the necessary pressure to release them.

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