Egyptian blogger and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah is greeted by his wife Manal Hassan and their baby Cairo – Arabstoday Egyptian court ordered the release of Egyptian blogger and political activist Alaa Abdel Fatah, Sunday, who was arrested for participating in protests denouncing the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), according to his sister and lawyer. On a separate note, a national Egyptian paper stated that the Muslim Brotherhood plans to support a presidential candidate outside MB, who works as a professor of political sciences in one of the Egyptian Universities.
Releasing Alaa Abdel Fatah
Alaa’s sister, Mona Seif, announced through her twitter page earlier today that “Alaa will be released”, in reference to the court order issued.  The release order of the Egyptian blogger followed the calm in Tahrir square, and 6 April’s decision to suspend the sit-in, giving SCAF a chance till January 25 to handover the authorities to a civil state, and to prosecute those involved in killing protesters.
The military arrested the activist following violent clashes outside Maspero on October 9, on account of his incessant criticism of SCAF’s performance, and using expressions which “fall within the scope of criminal liability,” according to SCAF.
MB backing a presidential candidate outside their community
Al-Gomhoria newspaper stated that the Muslim Brotherhood started a confidential campaign, by the leadership of the second and third rows, to test the street’s reaction toward backing a presidential candidate who is not a member of the brotherhood.
This comes in light of the approaching presidential elections, following SCAF’s approval to limit the elections of the Shura Council to two rounds ending February 22 of next year, in order to cut down the transitional phase, according to SCAF’s announcement.
Al-Gomhoria reported that the Muslim Brotherhood, which has formerly dismissed Dr. Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, one of its historic leaders, for breaching the brotherhood’s decision to not run for presidency, consented on a candidate who is not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose name has not yet been announced, and is said to be a popular political sciences professor in a major university.  Other political figures are still being proposed in case the university professor does not obtain popular acceptance.
Spokesman of MB Dr. Mohamed Ghozlan stressed that the brotherhood would not support any military presidential candidate, even if proved competent, stating that that MB are looking for a candidate away from the ones currently in the scene.
The Egyptian governmental paper stated that such approach “reinforces the brotherhood’s desire to select a strong candidate to be president,” through which they can indirectly gain access to power, and to use him as a powerful political ally to fortify the cooperation with the parliament majority, attained by MB’s Freedom and Justice Party, forming a model which closely represents the scene in Tunisia.