CAIRO — Investigative judges in Egypt said Wednesday that the Americans and Egyptians who have been charged in the government’s crackdown on U.S.-funded pro-democracy groups could face up to five years in prison for working at unlicensed organizations.
The remarks — the most extensive description of the government’s case against the pro-democracy workers to date — did not suggest that investigators had determined the workers were engaged in nefarious or subversive activities. Rather, the investigative judges, who in Egypt’s judicial system serve as the American equivalent of prosecutors, accused the NGO workers of failing to pay taxes, entering the country on tourist visas and training political parties even though the Egyptian government had refused to accredit their employers.
“The case is very big and is a very deep case that includes hundreds of people, organizations and entities,” Judge Sameh Abu Zaid said Wednesday afternoon during a news conference at the Justice Ministry.
The case has angered U.S. officials and prompted U.S. lawmakers to threaten to cut off financial aid to Egypt. The news conference appeared to suggest that despite an outcry in Washington and among civil society activists in Egypt, the military-led government in Cairo does not intend to water down or dismiss the case soon.
Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri confirmed at a separate news conference that the criminal case would proceed despite pressure from Washington.
Egyptian authorities charged 43 people in the probe, including 19 they identified as American citizens. However, the State Department said Tuesday that it believes only 16 of the defendants are American. Fewer than half of those are believed to be in Egypt
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