US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki (Photo: AP)
US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said Wednesday the US welcomes the reduced sentences of the Muslim Brotherhood trials in Egypt but with remaining concerns over the climate leading to arrests and detentions.
On the 11 December daily press briefing, Psaki said the US had closely followed the trials of Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Egypt and were pleased with the release of some pro-Brotherhood female demonstrators.
"We continue to look to the government of Egypt to ensure the Egyptians are afforded due process with fair and transparent trials, and continue to convey our belief that civilians should be sent to civilian courts," Psaki said.
The US remarks came following a string of Muslim Brotherhood trials. Since the mass nationwide protests against Mohamed Morsi's rule, which culminated in his ouster by the military early July, interim authorities have cracked down on Islamists, detaining thousands including the Brotherhood's top leaders.
During the trial of a group of Brotherhood leaders Wednesday, a second panel of judges withdrew for "being unable to properly conduct the trial."
Accused of inciting the killing of protesters, the defendants included Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, his two deputies Khairat El-Shater and Rashad Bayoumi, former speaker of parliament Mohamed Saad El-Katatni and prominent Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagy.
Last week, an appeals court reduced the harsh ruling of 11 years in jail handed to 14 female Islamist protesters to a suspended one-year sentence. The initial verdict, largely seen as politicised, had stirred uproar among local and international rights groups.
"We have consistently called for an end to politicised arrests and detentions, and we will continue to do so," Psaki said.
Washington has been attempting to mend relations with Egypt following the tension that resulted from the US's vocal criticism of Morsi's ouster and the new authorities' policies. An aid package of military weapons and fighter helicopters, as well as $260 million in cash aid to the Egyptian army, was suspended in October amid concerns over the country's democratic transition and mounting violence following Morsi's ouster.
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