Hamas Condemns Egypt Court Ruling
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, condemned the decision of an Egyptian court on Tuesday to ban its activities in Egypt, saying it targeted the Palestinian cause.
"The decision harms the image of Egypt and its role towards the Palestinian cause. It reflects a form of standing against Palestinian resistance," said Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the Gaza-based organization.
A Cairo court had earlier today ruled to ban activities by the Palestinian militant Hamas group in Egypt, branding it a terrorist organization.
The court also ordered that Hamas offices in the country be shut down and all dealings with the group suspended, AP reported.
Egypt's relations with Hamas have sharply deteriorated since the military removed President Mohammed Mursi last July.
Mursi and scores of Brotherhood leaders are in detention, facing a multitude of trials on charges that carry the death penalty.
Two of those cases involve Hamas members, accused of assisting Mursi and others in escaping from prison in 2011. Mursi and others are also charged in a separate trial of leaking state secrets to Hamas.