Egyptian Death Sentences Will Never Be Carried Out, Say Insiders

PHOTO: Egyptian politics is often as inscrutable as heiroglyphics to Westerners, say insiders. (Photo by David Cogswell)

The West recoiled in horror and Egypt's travel industry took yet another blow with reports that the Egyptian judiciary had sentenced 529 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to death for violence in a southern Egyptian city last August during demonstrations in favor of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.

But reactions from those close to the scene were markedly calmer.

Marc J. Seivers, Chargé d'Affaires, of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, effectively the acting U.S. ambassador, told TravelPulse the sentences are likely to pass soon into memory and never be carried out.

Seivers has served in the U.S. Foreign Service since 1981, holding posts in the Middle East and North Africa the entire time, including Political Minister Counselor at Embassy Baghdad, Counselor for Political Affairs in Tel Aviv and posts in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Turkey. He is a recipient of The Foreign Service Association's Sinclaire Lanugage Award for his achievements in the study of the Arabic language and culture. He knows the culture as well as nearly any American.

Travel Pulse interviewed Seivers last Saturday night at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Cairo, where Seivers hosted a group of more than 70 U.S. travelers who were traveling with Abercrombie & Kent's President's Tour to Egypt. TravelPulse interviewed Seivers again after the sentences were reported in the international media on Sunday.

“I am quite confident this verdict will be overturned by a higher court, most likely quite quickly,” Seivers said, "No question that it is damaging, but I seriously doubt anything like this verdict will be carried out.”

Those intimate with Egyptian political and social affairs say such rulings are commonly overturned.

Phil Otterson, president of Abercrombie & Kent USA, told TravelPulse that the rulings will most likely come to nothing more than a move on the chessboard of internal Egyptian politics. “Politics in Egypt is more difficult to understand when filtered through words in a press release or through the American lens.”

Only 123 of the defendants were in court. The rest were released, on bail or in hiding, according to a Reuters report.

The sentencing was only the first step in a long judicial process, and was typical of Egyptian affairs, which are sometimes inscrutable to outsiders. A series of automatic appeals will now go into effect. The defendants will be able to contest the verdict in the Court of Cassation.

According to Pamela Lassers, vice president of corporate communications for Abercrombie & Kent, “This was not a verdict by the court – rather a recommendation. The Egyptian Mufti (official Islamic scholar/consultant appointed by the government) will review the case and determine if it’s in accordance with Sharia law or not.”

CNN’s Cairo correspondent said it was “highly unlikely” the sentences would be carried out. “When you hear something like this, well it is shocking,” he said, “but you do have to step back and say there's a lot between the sentencing and the execution."

Last year a court in Alexandria sentenced 21 young girls, ages 15 to 22, to serve 11 years in prison for engaging in illegal pro-Morsi protests. The decision was appealed and the sentence was overturned.  It was reduced to a suspended term of one year and the girls were all released.

Former president and autocrat Hosni Mubarak was convicted in 2012 of killing hundreds of protestors at the 2011 anti-Mubarak protests that led to his ouster. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed the ruling and was granted a retrial.

“If it makes you feel more comfortable,” said Seivers, “wait a few days and see if I am right.”

Editor's note: David Cogswell recently returned from Egypt where he explored the state of the tourism industry after years of political turmoil. Follow his dispatches here, here, here, and here.