In Egypt, the high state security court decided Sunday that the next hearing in the trial of Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an Egyptian-US human rights advocate charged with defaming Egypt's reputation, would take place on June 25, a court source said.
In Sunday's hearing, the court examined evidence which consisted of documents and voting slips found at the Ibn Khaldun Center, which Ibrahim heads.
Officials from the center had claimed the ballot papers were used to inform the electorate on how to vote, as part of their institution's campaign to encourage citizens to participate in the electoral process, according to AFP.
Ibrahim and his 27 co-accused are charged with tarnishing Egypt's image by "spreading false information abroad" about "supposed electoral frauds" as well as receiving, without official approval, funding from the European Union (EU) to finance the activities of the Ibn Khaldun Center.
Ibrahim served eight months in prison after the state security court sentenced him to seven years in prison in May 2001.
He was freed in February when Egypt's top appeals court ordered a retrial, saying the first case had failed to examine properly the prosecution's evidence as well as the defense's arguments. (albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
