• EGYPT
  • October 28, 2013
  • 5 minutes read

Pro-Democracy Coalition Calls ‘Steadfastness and Independence of the Judiciary’ Mass Rally

Pro-Democracy Coalition Calls ‘Steadfastness and Independence of the Judiciary’ Mass Rally

 The Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance deplores the referral of seven champions of independence of the judiciary to the Competence Committee, referral of the honorable judge Walid Sharabi, spokesman for the ‘Judges for Egypt’ movement, to a disciplinary trial, and the putschists’ police assault on members of the judiciary in the prosecution office of Saqaltah town in Sohag (Upper Egypt).



The Alliance further denounces the junta-appointed 50-member constituent panel’s aggression against judicial bodies, which represents the worst malaise that plagues the independence of the judiciary and the steadfastness of the honorable judges against the junta that usurped executive and legislative powers. This makes it essential to double support for the Revolution and restore the people’s solidarity with the judges, as in 2006 Egypt, which paved the way for the toppling of the Mubarak regime.


These honorable judges are repeating the glory of their predecessors, their mentors, the founding members who faced up to former President Gamal Abdel-Nasser and were ousted in the 1969 massacre of the judiciary, and then again challenged Sadat and Mubarak in defense of the independence of the judiciary.


Some of these venerable judges are: Mumtaz Nassar, Yahya Rifai, Wagdi Abdul-Samad, Hossam Ghariani, Ahmed Makki, Mahmoud Makki, Zakaria Abdul-Aziz, Mahmoud Khudairi, Hisham Bastawisi, Fouad Rashid, Ashraf El-Baroudi, Yahya Galal, Ahmed Saber, Hisham Geneina, Essam Abdul-Gabbar, Nagi Derbala, and Ahmed Suleiman.


Absurdly, procedures of this slaughter of the judiciary are being supervised by the current Minister of Justice, against whom a formal complaint was filed accusing him of financial corruption, and no action has been taken in the matter to date.


Worse still, these procedures are also supported by Egypt’s Judges Club, headed by Justice Ahmed Al-Zind, against whom several formal complaints were filed accusing him of corruption, and no action has been taken in the matter to date either, despite the fact that those complaints were submitted to the Supreme Council of Justice many long months ago.


This is the same club that promptly cancelled the membership of dozens of judges as soon as they were charged, without waiting for the results of investigations.


Meanwhile, leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Freedom and Justice Party are being referred to trial in the lawsuit related to events of the attack on their Mokattam headquarters, based on implausible accusations surrounded by a lot of question marks because they are the result of a political conflict rather than real criminal charges.


The Egyptian judiciary and the great role judges play in achieving and upholding justice are facing a serious threat, which requires all revolutionary forces to close ranks and utilize their combined efforts to save the judiciary and repel the putschists’ aggression.


Hence, the Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance calls on the great masses of the Egyptian people to participate in ‘Steadfastness and Independence of the Judiciary’ million-man march Tuesday, October 29, as part of the "Persistence" week of peaceful protest activities – in defense of the honorable judges of Egypt and the honor and independence of the judiciary.


The Anti-Coup, Pro-Legitimacy National Alliance


Cairo: October 26, 2013