The Egyptian Revolutionary Council is a Turkey-based Egyptian political organization that was founded in 2014. Describing itself to be a group of Egyptian political forces and groups outside of Egypt, the ERC says that it is committed to the right of the Egyptian people to "bread, freedom, social justice and dignity. The ERC is believed to be connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization that is banned in several countries, including Egypt. Particular, the ERC strongly opposes the overthrow of the late Mohamed Morsi, has shown strong opposition toward the post-Brotherhood Egyptian government, and has labeled the incumbent President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as a "dictator"; these are views all consistent with the Muslim Brotherhood's official political positions.
“We oppose all aspects of corruption and dictatorship in Egypt. We oppose the military coup and all that ensued from it, and we refuse the interference of the military in political life. We believe in constitutional legitimacy and work for the establishment of a civil state that reflects the will of the Egyptian people and their freedom in choosing their government.”
The ERC has three main bureaus, each with distinct responsibilities: one that oversees the political aspects and international relations, another that documents alleged crimes and violations committed after Morsi was overthrown, and one that is responsible for communicating with media outlets.
Leadership
ERC is run by an elected Executive Board of the following individuals:
Dr. Maha Azzam, President
Juge Walid Al-Sharhabi, Vice President and Head of the Human Rights and Legal Office
Dr. Amr Adel, Head of the Political and Economic Office
Dr. Mohamed Salah, Head of the Information and Media Office and the Civil Society
Dr. Farouk Mesahel
Dr. Soha El-Shikh
Activities
Maha Azzam has said that the ERC's role is to address the European community to support the group’s mission. In February 2015, Azzam wrote an open letter to Barack Obama on the occasion of the Countering Violent Extremism summit. In the letter, she argued that an autocratic regime, labeling the presidency of Sisi as such, would lead to the kind of destabilized society that leads to violent extremism.
Ties to Muslim Brotherhood
The Egyptian Revolutionary Council has strong ties to the Global Muslim Brotherhood. Some ERC leaders have been a part of delegations and conference panels that were composed mostly of Muslim Brotherhood members and leaders. In January 2015, then Secretary General, now Deputy President, Waleed Sharaby and Maha Azzam were part of a delegation of Muslim Brotherhood-aligned leaders that was hosted by the U.S. State Department for meetings about the Muslim Brotherhood's ongoing efforts to oppose the presidency of Sisi. Separately, Sharaby has also openly praised Hamas. In February 2015, Maha Azzam was scheduled to speak at a conference titled “Islam and Democracy” hosted by the Cordoba Foundation at which a wide range of Global Muslim Brotherhood leaders were scheduled to speak. The Egyptian Revolutionary Council was criticized by the Egyptian government as being "another front for the Muslim Brotherhood's international wing" and a strategy by Turkey to exert pressure on the Egyptian state. In 2014, Maha Azzam claimed that Muslim Brotherhood members made up less than 20% of the group.
