Egypt makes the listing of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization permanent

Permanent listing instead of a temporary one

Egypt has permanently placed the Muslim Brotherhood on its list of terrorist organizations: the prosecutor's decision, published on Sunday, replaces the temporary listing that had been in effect since December 2022. According to The National, this is not a new ban, but a change in the legal basis and duration of the listing. The organization has been designated as terrorist in Egypt since December 2013, a few months after the removal of President Mohamed Morsi, who belonged to the movement, amid mass protests.

What changes legally

The listing has been made permanent under Egypt's 2015 law on terrorist organizations and individuals. It prohibits the organization's activities, its gatherings and fundraising, provides for the closure of its premises and the freezing of its assets. The grounds cited in the notification are a May 2023 verdict of the Cairo Criminal Court and a decision of the Court of Cassation in April of this year. The decision took effect upon publication in the November 8 issue of the official legal gazette Al-Waqa'i Al-Masriya.

A separate list for individuals

Along with the organization, three men linked to it have been permanently added to a separate list of terrorist individuals based on existing verdicts. They face restrictions: a travel ban, asset freezes and a ban on holding public office. The publication stresses that the listing of the organization and the listing of individuals are different legal measures: placing the Muslim Brotherhood on the list does not automatically mean that all people associated with it are added to the individuals list.

Context of US sanctions

Cairo's decision comes against the backdrop of international measures against individual branches of the movement: in January, the US Treasury added the Egyptian and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood to the Specially Designated Global Terrorists list, accusing them of providing material support to Hamas. These sanctions freeze assets under US jurisdiction and generally prohibit US citizens and companies from transactions with them. The Egyptian decision differs in scope: it concerns the organization within the country and relies on national legislation rather than the American sanctions regime.