Stor vrede i USA over anklagerne mod to indflydelsesrige institutter med nær tilknytning til henholdsvis det republikanske og demokratiske parti – også nordmand tiltalt.
The trial of 43 pro-democracy activists, including at least 16 Americans, has begun in Egypt, BBC online reports Sunday.
The defendants are accused of receiving illegal funding from foreign governments, including the US. The arrests have severely strained relations between Egypt and the US, with threats that aid could be cut. America pays up to 1,5 billion US dollar of aid to Egypt each year.
Not all of the defendants appeared at the hearing, which was adjourned until 26 April.
Even though no evidence has been heard yet, one of the prosecutors called for the maximum possible sentence to be imposed.
Some of the Americans have taken refuge in the US embassy after being refused permission to leave Egypt. Some defendants were already abroad when the travel ban was ordered.
The other defendants are said to include Egyptians, Germans, Serbs, Palestinians, and a Norwegian (med tilknytning til partiet Høyre, red.)
The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) – both loosely associated with the US Republican and Democratic parties – as well as Freedom House and the German Konrad-Adenauer Foundation were among 17 local and foreign NGOs whose offices were raided by prosecutors in late December, with documents and computers seized.
The charges mainly revolve around operating illegally in Egypt and receiving foreign funding illegally.
Human rights groups say the charges are part of an orchestrated campaign to silence groups critical of Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf).
Since the fall of President Mubarak, hundreds of Egyptian NGOs, too, have come under investigation from the government.
