Nour trial development

I just received this SMS from Hizb Al Ghad.

One of the state witnesses has reversed his testimony saying that police obtained his earlier confession that was used against Nour under pressure. This proves the fabricated nature of Ayman Nour case and the regime intentions of framing hiim to prevent him from challenging NDP power monopoly.

For those of you unfamiliar with the details, on trial with Nour are five or six others who have confessed their guilt, and are testifying that they forged documents at Nour's behest. Nour claims never to have even met them. I couldn't go to the trial today. But we should be getting word about what transpired shortly.

Comments

[isti]

the nytimes had a great photo of nour and his 'accomplices' yesterday. it was a case of 'one of these things is not like the other...'

an earnest and impeccably dressed (if a bit sweaty) nour stands in the cage with three of his co-defendents. One in standard NDP-issue thug shades, another a conscript in a new shirt from omar effendi, and the third looking like the man with the tobacco-stained teeth who operates the local foul stand. i'm sure these men are all hard chargers for democracy. strange they're not more unified though, you'd think in the cage, in the heat, they'd be trying for a little moral support there...

[Alaa]

three witnesses retracted their earlier claims and mentioned pressure from state security.

[Simon]

I am falling into the conspiracy theory trap, but is it not possible that the state is allowing the case to collapse because of the attention given to Nour by Condi Rice and the US. Nour is clearly not a serious contender for the presidency. Would it not be better for the regime to allow him to stand rather than risk fruitlessly upsetting the US? Or is Nour's strident criticism something the regime wants left out of the election?