Local Guild member and past National Lawyers Guild President Bruce Nestor participated in a human rights delegation to Egypt from Aug. 17-23, 2007. Bruce was a member of a delegation organized by the Muslim American Society (MAS), based in Washington, DC. The purpose of the delegation was to seek to observe military tribunals involving members of the largest opposition party in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in the 1920s. Today, it is a non-violent, opposition political movement which, despite being formally banned in Egypt, has over 80 members who serve in Parliament as "independents." Many people believe that the Brotherhood would have even greater representation in Parliament if Egypt were to hold a free and fair election.

The current military tribunals involve a number of Brotherhood members who were initially arrested in February of 2007. They faced charges involving belonging to a banned organization and money laundering. After repeatedly being acquitted by civilian courts, and being ordered released from custody, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak personally issued a presidential decree ordering that the arrestees be tried on identical charges in the military courts. These procedures have been condemned by groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as denying persons due process and a fair and open trial. The Brotherhood members facing trials are engineers, lawyers, doctors and businessmen who have advocated for democratic reform in Egypt and been critical of the corruption and authoritarianism of the National Democratic Party, which is President Mubarak's party.

For more information see: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE120282007