Hamza's return and Geneina's release.. Is Egypt on the verge of a political breakthrough?

CAIRO –

The return of the Egyptian dissident Mamdouh Hamza from abroad and the release of the former head of the Central Auditing Organization, Counselor Hisham Geneina, and before them the release of businessman Safwan Thabet and his son, raised questions about whether Egypt was on the verge of a political breakthrough, or whether what happened were just isolated measures concerning Asmaa. particular.

On February 13, Hamza returned to Cairo after 3 years spent abroad, and after the authorities removed his name from the terrorist lists.

Immediately upon his return, Hamza said - in a video clip he posted on Facebook - that he was optimistic about a political breakthrough in the country, and called on the political system to open its arms to many loyal people who are abroad or in prisons, stressing that the matter must not stop at him alone.

These steps have opened doors of hope for many, some of whom have lived outside the country for about 10 years, and most of them live in prisons.

Less than two weeks before Hamza's return, the Egyptian authorities released businessman Thabet and his son Seif, after more than two years of detention, and removed his name from the terrorist lists.

Two days after Hamza's return, the authorities released the former head of the Central Auditing Organization, after he had served a 5-year prison sentence for publishing "offensive" statements related to government corruption.

Optimism about a breakthrough soon

Faced with these premises, Egyptian dissidents abroad expressed their desire to know the conditions on which they could be considered "sincere Egyptians" like Hamza.

Hamza said in his recording that a senior officer told him, upon his arrival, that Egypt opens its arms to all its loyal sons in order to benefit from them.

Khaled Ismail, a member of the April 6 Movement's political bureau, asked on Facebook about "places that give courses in sincerity so that he becomes a loyal son who can return to his country."

Safwan Muhammad, a former member of the Constitution Party and residing in Germany for about 8 years, also wrote that he is "one of the loyal sons of Egypt who are exiled abroad and wants to return," but he wondered who defines these loyal people and how to identify them.

Muhammad Nour, a person who identifies himself as a politician, wrote that the return of Hamza and the exit of Geneina does not mean that they are innocent of the charges attributed to them, or that they did not deserve punishment by escaping and imprisoning, but it means that the country decided to give them a "new opportunity" based on the outcomes of the national dialogue .

Nour added on Facebook that the circle will expand to include everyone except the Muslim Brotherhood, noting that "those who were not involved in violence or incited to it will be reintegrated into society."

As for journalist Hossam Al-Sukari, he expressed his happiness at the release of Genena, expressing his hope for the release of all loyal Egyptians.

In the context, engineer Tariq al-Malt, a founding member of the Egyptian Wasat Party, one of the parties that opposed the removal of President Morsi, and currently residing in Egypt, expressed optimism about these steps and considered them "evidence of the existence of a rational current within the system of government."

And he wrote on Facebook: We hope for more good news, releases, lifting the ban, and that a period of calm and openness to opposing opinions begin, and he called on everyone to: stop incitement, hatred, and violent solutions, and encourage this wise current within the system of power to move forward on this path.

Ayman Nour believes that what happened with Hamza and Geneina cannot be considered strong evidence of an imminent breakthrough (Al-Jazeera)

individual decisions

Opposition politician Ayman Nour believes that returning to the homeland is an idea that is in line with the Egyptian constitution from the beginning, and with all applicable international laws, but he said that this right for Egyptians was threatened during the last ten years in a way that did not happen under any previous political regime.

Speaking to Al-Jazeera Net, Nour said that Egyptians abroad were prevented from returning to their country financially by refusing to renew their passports, a method that has never been used since 1952, and morally by fabricating accusations or what is known as the "airport trap".

Rounding distances

In order to prove the seriousness of the authorities in bringing the opposition closer, Nour called on the authorities to take preliminary steps, including allowing the renewal of passports of opponents abroad, to ensure the existence of a "real breakthrough," adding that talking about a political breakthrough requires an official declaration that puts it in the context of a fait accompli, as well as finding a mechanism to return Conducting fair trials for wanted persons abroad.

Nour confirmed that Hamza was not actually able to renew his identity card, passport and driver's license, as was rumored, indicating that he had been promised to end the problem in the coming days.

As for Counselor Genena, he was tried by the military and did not get a half-term release or 3-quarters of the term, as happened and happens with hardened criminals, and he did not benefit from conditional release and spent 5 full years, and was presented to the State Security Prosecution to face new charges related to spreading false news in 2018, and he is Clear political blackmail to force him to remain silent, according to Nour's words.

He concluded that what happened to Hamza and Jenina in a very private way could not be considered strong evidence of an imminent breakthrough.

Hani Suleiman expects to release many names and allow many to return, including the Brotherhood (Al-Jazeera)

tangible breakthrough

In turn, the director of the Arab Center for Research and Studies in Cairo, Hani Suleiman, said that the recent period witnessed many steps that indicate a breakthrough on more than one level, including the launch of the national dialogue, and he added - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that one of the most important indicators was the amnesty of many prisoners.

Suleiman believes that the file of detainees enjoys great political interest, in addition to the desire to open the door for some names to engage in political action. Perhaps the return of Hamza and the smooth release of Genena support this hypothesis.

The spokesman expressed his conviction that the coming period will witness the release of many names, and allowing many to return, including the Muslim Brotherhood.