Son, Nephew of Nasser Indicted for Terrorism

A son and a nephew of the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser are among 20 people indicted in connection with four attacks on U.S. and Israeli diplomats in Cairo, Egypt’s chief prosecutor announced today.

Prosecutor General Mohammed Guindi said he was seeking the death penalty for 11 of the defendants, including Khaled Abdel Nasser, eldest son of the late president and his first wife.

Guindi said he wants prison sentences of up to life for the nine others, among them Nasser’s nephew, Gamal Shawky Abdel Nasser, a physician.

Both Nasser relatives are fugitives outside Egypt. Family members say the son is living with his wife and children in Yugoslavia and the nephew in London. Neither Yugoslavia nor Britain has an extradition treaty with Egypt.

Disruptive Group Formed

The indictment accused the first 11 defendants of forming a group called Egypt’s Revolution to assassinate foreign diplomats, aiming to disrupt relations between Egypt and several countries and to destabilize security within Egypt.

The indictment also charged the 11 with murder and attempted murder in the attacks, which occurred between 1984 and 1987. Two Israelis died and six Israelis and two Americans were wounded in the attacks.

Egypt’s Revolution was financed from abroad, Guindi told reporters, but he said investigations have not shown which country or countries were involved.

The nine defendants for whom lesser penalties are being asked were accused of complicity in the alleged conspiracies.

No Government Overthrow

“Under the name Egypt’s Revolution, these men assassinated and attempted to assassinate diplomats with the aim of destabilizing the security situation in Egypt and spoiling relations between Egypt and those countries,” Guindi said.

“There was no aim to overthrow the government.”

Nine of the 11 for whom Guindi is seeking the death penalty had been arrested and ordered released by the courts. Guindi said they will be re-arrested.

Large numbers of bombs, ammunition and weapons, including machine guns, were discovered with the defendants, he said.

Egypt’s Revolution first surfaced in 1984, when an Israeli labor attache was wounded.