Strong Egypt Party urges trial of Sisi, interior minister

The Strong Egypt Party of former presidential contender Abdel-Moneim Abu al-Fotouh reiterated opposition to the "militarization" of the state and demanded the immediate trial of the defense and interior ministers. "We clearly oppose this government and this regime," the party said in a statement Thursday. "We demand the immediate trial of Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim for their direct responsibility for recent events." The party urged all members to "join all activities and events against bloodshed." On Wednesday, Egyptian security forces forcibly dispersed two major protest camps for Morsi supporters in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square and Giza's Nahda Square. The Health Ministry has said that at least 578 people were killed in nationwide violence on Wednesday, including in Rabaa al-Adawiya and in Nahda Square. However, the official death toll remains far below figures given by the National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a coalition of pro-Morsi Islamist parties and figures, which has put the number of deaths from the Rabaa sit-in alone at some 2,600. The Strong Egypt party had joined the June 30 mass protests which were used by the powerful military to justify the ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi.