Egypt did not contact US over release of 'Blind Sheikh,' says official
Egypt Independent Tue, 03/07/2012 - 12:06
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-did-not-contact-us-over-release-blind-sheikh-says-official

President Mohamed Morsy has not made communicated with Washington over the
release Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria
Nuland said.

Abdel Rahman, often known as the “Blind Sheikh,” was convicted in 1995 of
charges related to terrorism conspiracy and plotting to overthrow the US
government.

In a press briefing, Nuland said that Morsy has just assumed his new post
and that neither him nor any representative for him had contacted Washington
in this concern.

“To my knowledge, neither he nor his people have contacted us on this case,
but I think the secretary was extremely clear in her interviews over the
weekend about where we stand on it,” Nuland said.

Last week, Morsy took an informal oath of office before tens of thousands of
supporters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in which he paid homage to the militant
cleric jailed in the United States.

"I see the family of Omar Abdel Rahman (in Tahrir)," he said. "And I see the
banners of the families of those who have been jailed by the (Egyptian)
military." He pledged to work for the release of the prisoners, including
Abdel Rahman.

On Sunday, Morsy spokesperson Yasser Ali said that the president’s
statements on releasing Abdel Rahman were based on sympathy for his family,
from a humanitarian perspective and not a legal one.

Ali added that Egypt respects laws and criminal rulings issued in other
countries with stable judicial systems, and that legal options exist for
dealing with humanitarian issues.

This week, The US secretary of state responded by saying that the legal
procedures of Abdel Rahman’s trial were correct.