Hagel and Sisi talk referendum and Brotherhood charges

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Egypt’s Head of the Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call that the US looks forward to the upcoming constitutional referendum.

Egypt’s interim government declared last week that a referendum on the draft constitution will take place on January 15 and 16.

“They discussed the importance of a transparent process, in which the freedom of expression is protected for all citizens during the campaign period, regardless of whether they support or oppose the constitution,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in an official statement on Thursday.

Hagel told Sisi that he encouraged leaders of Gulf nations, during his recent visit, to support Egypt’s transition, especially the economy.

In addition, Hagel expressed his “concern” over recent charges against deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood group.

Egypt’s prosecutor general referred Morsi and several other leading Brotherhood figures to the criminal court Wednesday, on charges of terrorism and espionage.

According to the prosecution, Morsi and his associates sought military training for Brotherhood members by smuggling them through illegal tunnels into the Gaza Strip, where they allegedly received combat training from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The plan was for the trained militants to return to Egypt to carry out terrorist operations at the behest of Morsi, the prosecution added.

Hagel also expressed other concerns over what the statement described as “violence against a nongovernmental organization,” referring to the recent storming of the Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights (ECSER) by police forces, during which they arrested staff, confiscating equipment and destroyed office supplies.

“The secretary noted that civil society organizations play a vital role in any democracy and that incidences such as these can undermine confidence in the interim government's commitment to a non-violent, inclusive and sustainable democratic transition,” the statement added.