Vocal Egyptian opposition figure sent to military court

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Egypt's military prosecutor ordered a vocal opposition politician to be tried by a military court on charges of illegally crossing into Gaza through a smuggling tunnel. The prosecutor's statement Tuesday said that Magdi Hussein, the secretary general of the dissolved Labor Party, will be tried by a military court Thursday. Hussein was arrested Saturday after showing up at the Egyptian-Gaza border crossing in Rafah without a passport. Egypt's military courts are known for their swift convictions that cannot be appealed. The courts were once reserved for Islamist militants but have since been expanded to include opposition figures. Hussein is known for his vociferous anti-government rhetoric and his Islamist sympathies.