The same day of Islamist President Mohamed Morsy's chaotic trial in Cairo, the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) former planning minister and foreign relations chief, Amr Derrag, was banned from leaving the country for Qatar.Some within the Islamist camp believe this has now signalled an end to reconciliation efforts.
Another Muslim Brotherhood leader, local development minister under Morsy, Mohamed Ali Beshr, was banned from travel as well two weeks ago.
Security officials justified both measures saying Derrag and Beshr were involved in inciting violence, the same charges levied against Morsy and the 14 Islamist co-defendants standing trial on 8 January.
Derrag and Beshr's travel ban coincided with the start of Morsy's trial, along with other 14 Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
Leaked messages for detained Muslim Brotherhood leaders stress that they are willing to engage in talks, but still want pressure so as to reap the greatest possible political gains.
These gains started to dissipate after authorities launched a crackdown on Brotherhood leaders, following leaders' condition to start negotiations providing detained leaders were released and brought to the table, according to a leaked message from deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater to Beshr.
Mohamed al-Sisi, a member of the FJP's legal committee, saw the impossibility of ending the crisis between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood. The armed forces imposed their own condition that the Muslim Brotherhood recognize 30 June as a revolution, while the group leaders insisted that Morsy should return to power. Mohamed al-Sisi said both demands could not practically be achieved.
According to Sisi, the armed forces attempted to put forward initiatives through different public figures like Ahmed Kamal Aboul Magd and through statements made by Salafi Dawa leader Yasser Borhamy.
The Muslim Brotherhood refused them as they did not include the return of Morsy to the presidency, Sisi told Egypt Independent.
Banning Derrag and Beshr from travel amid the start of Morsy's trial could possibly signal an end to reconciliation hopes, Sisi concluded.
