CKUT Voices from Egypt: Interview with Egyptian lawyer Ragia Omran re: Military Trials by Lillian Boctor

<p>Since the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces became Egypt's de facto rulers on January 28, 2011, they have been using military trials against civilians. At least 12,000 civilians have been subjected to military trials, in which trial and conviction happen quickly, often without any access to lawyers, witnesses or evidence. Military trials are being used by SCAF as a means to stifle dissent and create a climate of fear and disengagement among the Egyptian population. On October 27, Essam Atta, who underwent a military trial and conviction and was serving a three-year sentence, was tortured to death by prison guards. On October 30, renowned revolutionary and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah was summoned to the infamous C28 military prosecutor's headquarters, and was arrested and detained for refusing to answer the interrogators' questions, as he does not recognize the legitimacy of military trials. These incidents caused an uproar in Egypt and led to demonstrations and protests. The group No to Military Trials for Civilians was formed to resist and condemn SCAF's use of military trials and violations against civilians. Lawyer Ragia Omran is one of the founders of the group, along with activist Mona Seif, Alaa Abd El Fattah's sister, and activist Shahira Abouellail. In an interview recorded on 30 October 2011, lawyer Ragia Omran gives a background on military trials in Egypt. <a href="http://en.nomiltrials.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://en.nomiltrials.com</a>/<a href="http://www.manalaa.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.manalaa.net</a>/#nomiltrials#freealaa<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/fazerofzanight" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/#!/fazerofzanight</a><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/rago_legal"