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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/natio...sp?category=1107&slug=Egypt Opposition Leader

Saturday, March 12, 2005 · Last updated 5:57 a.m. PT

Egyptian opposition leader ordered freed

By SALAH NASRAWI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

CAIRO, Egypt -- Egyptian opposition leader Ayman Nour was ordered released on bail from prison, a judicial official said Saturday, a detention that had caused tension with Washington.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Nour would be released on Saturday, but prisoners freed on bail have to follow certain legal procedures which could last between hours or days. Nour has yet to even be formally charged.

"Prosecutor general Maher Abdel Wahed ordered the release of Nour," said the official on condition of anonymity.

Nour was arrested on Jan. 29, accused of presenting fraudulent signatures in order to win the license for his party - but he and his supporters say the charges are political, aiming to eliminate him as a rival to the ruling party.

His detention had caused diplomatic tension with Washington, which had also called for his release.

Nour's Al-Ghad Party welcomed the prosecutor's decision.

"Now we hope that Ayman will be referred to a fair and quick trial," said Ragab Hilal Hmeida, the party's secretary general.

Nour last week announced his decision to run for the presidency since President Hosni Mubarak surprised the country last month by ordering a constitutional amendment to allow multi-candidate polls for president.

Egypt has until now held presidential referendums in which people vote "yes" or "no" for a single candidate approved by parliament.

Al-Ghad has only seven legislators in Egypt's 454-seat parliament but the detention of the populist politician has drawn wide attention, partly because Nour champions a call for more than one candidate to be allowed to run in this year's presidential elections.

International human rights groups have called on Egypt to release Nour, saying his detention is politically motivated. The prosecutor general has denied this.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said she raised "very strong concerns" about Nour's detention when she met Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Washington last week.