Does anybody remember the “Victorious Group?” That first of its kind “Salafi Takfiri” group in Egypt a la Zarqawi style, as the state-owned press and self-described counterterrorism pundits told us?

These were 22 young Egyptians, picked up last April. The security then proudly stated, that “Information, documents and interviews … confirmed that they were studying carrying out terrorist operations against tourist targets, the gas pipeline on the Greater Cairo ring road and some sensitive sites through bombings,… They were also studying targeting some Muslim and Christian religious figures and … what they called degenerate youth in tourist areas.”

The arrest of that “group” was announced—surprise, surprise—11 days before the extension of the emergency law.

Some pro-democracy activists, who were detained last spring for their solidarity with the Egyptian judiciary’s fight for independence said they met “Victorious Group” guys during visits to the State Security prosecutor. One of them, leftist blogger Alaa Seif, wrote the VG suspects appeared to have received brutal tortured by State Security agents, to extract confessions.

Well, guess what? The State Security Prosecutor has just dismissed the case, saying the evidence is bogus, and ordered the release of the 22 men.

Related postings:

Fresh crackdowns on alleged militants

Chain of Hatred