Egypt Court Designates Hamas 'Terrorist" Group

An Egyptian court on Saturday designated Palestinian movement Hamas as a "terrorist" group, a judicial source has said.



Cairo's Urgent Matters Court has labeled Hamas as a "terrorist organization," the source, who declined to be named, told Then Anadolu Agency.



Saturday's verdict comes even though the case was rejected by a different circuit of the Urgent Matters Court for "lack of jurisdiction."



Lawyer Samir Sabri had filed a lawsuit calling for labeling Hamas a "terrorist" movement, claiming the group had "carried out terrorist attacks in Egypt through tunnels linking the Sinai Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.



In March 2014, the same court outlawed Hamas' activities in Egypt and confiscated its offices.



The court had said that the ban would be temporary until another court – which is trying ousted President Mohamed Morsi for alleged "collaboration" with Hamas to carry out "hostile" acts in Egypt – delivers its final verdict.



Last month, a court declared the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, a terrorist organization.



A number of Hamas members have been among the defendants in two trials that Morsi – a Muslim Brotherhood leader – currently faces for alleged espionage and jailbreak.



Egypt's media has blamed Hamas, an ideological offshoot of the Brotherhood, for a series of deadly attacks on security forces since Morsi's ouster. Hamas has consistently denied the allegations.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire