Sisi: Deviation of 2011 revolution is not the fault of its sons, June 30 corrected the path

In a pre-recorded televised address commemorating the fifth anniversary of January 25, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi saluted the youth of the 2011 revolution, claiming they are not responsible for deviation from the revolutionary path and that June 30 gave the people back their freewill.

Despite a security crackdown in the last few weeks aimed at minimizing the possibility of further protests on January 25 this year, Sisi described the "martyrs" of the January 25 revolution as the “best sons of Egypt,” who sacrificed their lives to uphold the principles of humanity and social justice.

He asserted that the revolution’s “loyal children” are not responsible for its deviation, which he said is the responsibility of those who tried to take credit for it and use its momentum for their own personal gain — in an obvious reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, who were ousted from power in 2013 by the military following mass protests against Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi — although he didn't reference the Islamist group directly. 

Sisi posited June 30, when Morsi was deposed, as the natural continuation of the January 25 revolution. However, the last two years have witnessed the mass detention of Islamists and liberal activists, many of whom have been linked to the January 25 revolution.

Despite his praise for the "revolution's youth," several activists who were seen as leading figures in the 2011 protests are currently serving jail sentences of up to 25 years, mostly on protest-related charges. These include April 6 leading members Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel and independent activists Ahmed Douma and Alaa Abd El Fattah.

In his speech, Sisi stressed democratic principles need time to materialize and mature. He claimed an objective look at Egypt over the last few years would undeniably reveal progress, as the country has moved from being “the nation of the group,” as in the Muslim Brotherhood, to “a nation for everyone.”