The forgery trial of opposition leader and presidential candidate Ayman Al Nur has been adjourned until after Egypt's elections in September, Judge Adel Abdel Salam announced on Wednesday. But in line with Egyptian law, the postponement will not affect Nur's candidacy as so far he has only been charged but not condemned. He appeared before Cairo's criminal court on Wednesday and twice last week as a free man. Abdel Salam said that the trial has been adjourned until September 25 th. The elections are scheduled to take place during the first two weeks of that month.
"We would have wished that Nur could have proved his innocence before the presidential elections. It is a very long and unjustified delay," said defense lawyer Amir Salem. Egyptian authorities accuse him of forging some of the signatures needed to obtain state approval for the creation of his Ghad (Tomorrow) Party last year. Nur and his team of 10 lawyers deny the forgery charges and have vowed to prove that the signatures were authentic, arguing that the charges were trumped up to cripple his campaign.
Ayman Ismail, a co-defendant in the trial, reiterated on Wednesday that the incriminating statements that he made against Nur were the result of police blackmail. In a spectacular about-turn he told the judge last week that he had accused Nur under pressure from a police officer who had threatened to "harm" his sister's young daughters. Ismail, afraid that his family would be harmed, decided to rescind his testimony.
Besides Ismail, three other defendants admitted under interrogation to forging documents at Nur's behest. Nur, whose trial opened on June 28, resumed on June 30 and was finally adjourned on Wednesday, said last week "Ismail's decision to amend the testimony he gave under duress is the best proof that the case [against him] was concocted by security organs". Defense lawyers had dismissed the testimonies of the four other accused, alleging that they were state security agents who had infiltrated the party. Washington is watching the trial very closely, expressing hope that it would be impartial.
Nur, whose party has seven MPs in the 454-seat parliament, is the only candidate from an opposition party to have put his name forward to run against President Hosni Mubarak in the elections. Until now, Egyptians had only been able to say yes or no to a single parliament-appointed candidate. The September polls will be the first-ever contested presidential elections. But Nur and other opposition parties have complained of tight restrictions on candidates wishing to challenge 77-year-old Mubarak, who is widely expected to seek a fifth six-year mandate after 24 years at the helm. Nur spent six weeks in custody earlier this year turning him into the most visible face of the Egyptian opposition.
