RESPONDING TO EGYPT'S CRACKDOWN ON THE MUSLIM

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001276 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC FOR WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL PHUM EG SUBJECT: RESPONDING TO EGYPT'S CRACKDOWN ON THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD REF: CAIRO 1128 Classified By: Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The GOE has ratcheted up its campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) by arresting two MB parliamentarians on April 29. At least 300 members of the banned Islamist organization have been detained since December, 40 of whom (including the group's third-most senior leader) will face military tribunals in early June, after having been already twice acquitted by Cairo criminal courts. The arrest of the two MPs (reportedly detained while holding a meeting with other MB members in a private home) represents a threatening shot across the bow of the MB,s 88-member parliamentary bloc (Note: Legally, Egyptian parliamentarians enjoy immunity from arrest, although this immunity has been suspended in the controversial past arrests of opposition parliamentarians Ayman Nour and Talaat Sadat. End note). ¶2. (C) Whether the GOE is cracking down on law-abiding liberals or law-abiding Islamists, we face the same set of challenges. Most immediately, the challenge is how to uphold the principles of freedom and democracy in a manner that positively influences Egyptians, puts the onus squarely on the GOE, and deprives them of the opportunity to deflect blame by changing the issue to one of American "interference." Our task is, at a minimum, to avoid getting in the way of healthy internal Egyptian debate, and as possible, skillfully influence it. ¶3. (SBU) If constrained immediately to comment in this case, we recommend the Department draw from the following themes: -- We are concerned by reports of the arrest of two Egyptian parliamentarians. -- Arrests of duly elected lawmakers would appear to violate the principles of rule of law that Egyptians hold dear. (If pressed) -- Our views are clear. The key question is: What does this mean to Egyptians themselves, and their concepts of freedom and democracy? -- Likewise, what do Egyptians think, when their citizens are acquitted by their civilian courts, and then put on trial before a military tribunal? -- When hundreds of Egyptian citizens are arrested and held without trial for crimes of thought, what does this mean to Egyptians? Do they think this strengthens their stability and rule of law? RICCIARDONE