Egypt trial of foreign NGO activists on Feb 26

[FarCenter]

Egypt was set to further widen a row with the United States by announcing on Saturday that it would go ahead with a trial of foreign democracy activists, including 19 Americans, on February 26.

A court set the date for the start of the trial of 43 suspects -- who also include Serbs, Norwegians, Germans, Egyptians, Palestinians and Jordanians -- in a crackdown on NGOs accused of receiving illegal foreign aid, state media announced.

The defendants are charged with "establishing unlicensed chapters of international organisations and accepting foreign funding to finance these groups in a manner that breached the Egyptian state's sovereignty," official MENA news agency reported.

http://www.france24.com/en/20120218-egypt-trial-foreign-ngo-activists-feb-26