33 Extremists Held in Plot to Overthrow Egypt’s Government

Egyptian authorities today announced the arrest of 33 Muslim extremists, including four army officers and one Palestinian, on charges of plotting to overthrow the government.

State Prosecutor Mohammed Abdelaziz Guindy said the defendants had illegally formed an extremist religious group with a combat training center, weapons and explosives. He said they will be tried on charges of attempting to overthrow the government.

The announcement was the first official indication that Islamic extremists have infiltrated the armed forces since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat at a military parade in 1981 by Muslim fundamentalist members of the army.

Detention of the four officers, ranging in rank from first lieutenant to major, was the first indication that extremist infiltration of the army continued.

The prosecutor said there is some indication that the group has connections with the Jihad organization, the Islamic extremist group that had been officially blamed for Sadat’s assassination but is not linked to the group that has kidnaped Americans in Lebanon.

‘Inciting Hatred and Contempt’

The defendants were taken to the Emergency State Supreme Court for trial on charges of “establishing, participating in or running an organization whose aim is to oppose the basic principles of the state regime, inciting hatred and contempt and inciting resistance to public authorities,” the prosecutor said.

A senior official at the Interior Ministry, which oversees public security, said the defendants were arrested about four months ago.

The prosecutor said the defendants identified their leader as an engineer, Ahmed Mohammed Samir. He said an officer, Fathi Bahi, “illegally acquired weapons and explosives that were property of the armed forces. He also possessed weapons and ammunition without a license.”

The indictment said Bahi and a second officer, identified as Mohammed Abdel Rahman, “illegally acquired the special papers of their military units, as well as stamps and special military marks and used them in a manner harmful to public interests.”

A defendant identified as Shawki Sheik “organized meetings and seminars in which he . . . branded society--both the rulers and the ruled--infidels, called for sectarian strife and Jihad (Holy War) to oppose and overthrow the state regime,” he said.

Civilian, Military Wings

Guindy said the group divided into two wings--one of civilians and the other military--and had the intention of overthrowing the government.

“The use of force and violence was noticeable through the training of some members of the group in combat and the use of firearms and explosives,” he said.

Prosecutors asked the court to punish the defendants under articles of the penal code that provide for imprisonment up to life with hard labor.

Authorities said the testimony of some witnesses showed that there is a link between the group and some members of the Jihad organization who were in the trial of 300 Jihad members accused of plotting to topple the government after Sadat’s assassination.