Ahmed Shafik faces charges relating to aligning with MB

CAIRO – 2 December 2017: Lawyer Samir Sabri filed a complaint against the former Premier Ahmed Shafik, accusing him of aligning with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood (MB) by appearing on Al-Jazeera channel and attempting to fuel feuds between the United Arab of Emirates (UAE) and Egypt by propagating false news.

Shafik, who announced on Al-Jazeera channel his bid for presidency, said earlier that he is banned from leaving the UAE. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the claim, saying that he is free to travel wherever he wants.

Shafik then headed to France, where he indicated that he will soon return to Egypt. He had left the country after his loss in the 2012 Presidential Elections.

Lawyer Sabri further pointed out that Shafik held negotiations with top MB leaders before fleeing from Egypt. Sabri claims that Shafik’s return would carry the motive of infiltrating and destroying the state through the support of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry confirmed on Friday that every Egyptian citizen has the legal right to run for president. It is the country’s first public and official reaction to former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik’s announcement to run for the 2018 Presidential Elections.

Shutting down Al-Jazeera was included in the list of Arab demands handed over to Doha, Qatar, for reconciliation. The demands were issued after Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE decided to boycott Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism.