A year ago next week, the Egyptian army finally brought to an end the disastrous year-long presidency of Mohammed Morsi. That presidency saw the Muslim Brotherhood have one of their own as the head of the Arab world's largest country, and swiftly try to dominate all the institutions of Egypt. In particular, Mr Morsi tried to assert control over the judiciary, one of the few institutions of state that remained independent during the Mubarak era. The Brotherhood set about using the courts to exact retribution from their political enemies.
Against that history, recent court decisions in Egypt are of great concern. The death sentences of 180 Muslim Brotherhood figures upheld over the weekend, with a further 500 sentenced to life in jail and the long jail terms handed to three Al Jazeera journalists on Monday, contribute to an atmosphere of judicial politicisation that the presidency of Abdel Fattah El Sisi hoped to rein in.
Naturally, this newspaper holds no brief for Al Jazeera or the Brotherhood. The latter have sought to do grave damage to the UAE and the former’s reporting too often drifts into open propaganda. Yet sentencing journalists to jail for doing their job is counterproductive. And the court case against them, littered as it was with errors, raises questions about the fairness of the judicial process in that and other recent cases.
The importance of the rule of law – especially for Egypt, at this crucial moment – cannot be overstated. Abdel Fattah El Sisi was elected partly to drag Egypt back on to a sustainable path. A crucial part of that will be bringing in outside investment and giving ordinary Egyptians a greater stake in their own country. The rule of law is crucial to both.
Without it, investors will be wary, lest they find their investments under threat and their recourse to the law limited or politicised. The same applies to ordinary Egyptians. Corruption played a big part in fomenting the Egyptian revolution.
Making sure the courts aren’t politicised – and are seen to be fair – is one of the most important tasks for the new president. He could start with these recent trials. On the same day that the verdict was announced, the UAE president, Sheikh Khalifa, pardoned hundreds of prisoners, allowing them to start a new life. Perhaps a similar Ramadan gesture from Mr El Sisi would allow Egypt to turn a new page.