The secret files of the Muslim Brotherhood: Episode II, the assassination of El Nokrashy Pasha

In December 1948, Mahmoud Fahmy El Nokrashy Pasha, an Egyptian political figure and prime minister, was gunned down by Abdel Meguid Ahmed Hassan, who was a veterinary student at the University of King Fouad I and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Nokrashy Pasha was killed in the main building of the Ministry of Interior by Abdel Meguid, who was disguised as a lieutenant.

On Monday, December 20, 1948, Abdel Meguid went to a safehouse where he met with Ahmed Fouad, Abdulhalim Mohamed Ahmed and Galal ad-Din Yassin, who was dressed as a constable.

Ahmed Fouad, who supervised the prepration of the operation, gave Abdel Meguid a Beretta pistol and gave Galal a Colt pistol, and they agreed that Abdel Meguid will go to a café shop while Galal will go to the café shop in front of the Interior Ministry.

While sitting at the first café shop, Abdel Meguid received a phone call that El Nokrashy Pasha is about to arrive, so he went to the ministry and observed Mahmoud Farghal, the sixth defendant, as he got out of the building.

Abdel Meguid stayed at the hall of the ministry building for about half an hour, but El Nokrashy Pasha still did not show up, so Abdel Meguid went to Galal at the café shop to report the situation and then went to the safehouse in Shobra to change his clothes.

In the afternoon, Abdel Meguid met with Mahmoud Farghal who told him that El Nokrashy Pasha only goes to the ministry on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He also knew that Farghal was assigned to assassinate El Nokrashy Pasha as well.

The next day, on December 21, 1948, Abdel Meguid went to the safehouse and changed his clothes along with Galal, and then went to the same café shop but did not receive the phone call, as he knew later that El Nokrashy’s usual route was changed.

Abdel Meguid agreed with Ahmed Fouad and Galal to meet at Farouk Square at 5:00 pm. Then Fouad ordered them to go to Atef Attiya’s house the next day, December 22, 1948, where Attiya was present, along with Al-Sayed Fayez and Ahmed Fouad, who said the implementation of the crime may be postponed until precautions were taken to ensure the safety of Sheikh Hassan Al-Banna in case someone decided to retaliate for the killing of Nokrashy Pasha.

The next day they decided to make a change of costumes as Shafik Anas would wear the constable uniform while Mahmoud Kamel would dress as a police soldier, and they were assigned to help Abdel Meguid escape after he manages to kill El Nokrashy Pasha or to finish the mission themselves in case he fails. So each of them was handed a pistol while Anas was handed a phosphorous bomb, and they agreed to carry out the assassination the next day, on Sunday, December 26, 1948.

The next day, Abdel Meguid went to the safehouse where he met Anas, Kamel and Fouad, as they go dressed and headed to their determined locations, but Abdel Meguid did not receive the phone call that El Nokrashy is approaching, so he went back to the safehouse.

As they met in the evening, Ahmed Fouad commanded them to carry out the assassination on Tuesday, December 28, 1948.

They following morning, Abdel Meguid went to the café shop and received the phone call, so he entered the hall of the ministry building and waited for El Nokrashy Pasha to show up, and while he was on his way to the elevator, Abdel Meguid shot him dead.

The prosecution record says that Abdel Meguid recognized the first, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth defendants, namely Al-Sayed Fayez, Sahfik Anas, Mahmoud Kamel, Abdulhalim Mohamed, Mahmoud Farghal, Mohamed Ali and Galal ad-Din Yassin.

Abdel Meguid also mentioned the homes of Al-Sayed Fayez, Mahmoud Kamel, Mahmoud Helmy Farghal and Mohamed Ahmed Ali, as he described the house of El-Sayed Fayez and Abdulhalim Mohamed Ahmed accurately.

The eighth defendant, Galal ad-Din, at the beginning denied the facts mentioned by Abdel Meguid, but then he admitted to the crime as he was confronted with him.

He also admitted meeting with him and Abdul Meguid and the officer Farid (the pseudonym for Ahmed Fouad) and the first accused, El-Sayed Fayez, who was the main speaker at the meeting, and one of the attendants drew the building of the Interior Ministry, then Fayez instructed them on the assassination of El-Nokrashy Pasha and details of the scheme.