Judges investigated ON MONDAY Judge Mohamed Fahmi, delegated by the Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) to investigate the judges said to belong to the Judges for Egypt movement, referred 34 judges to a disciplinary committee for joining an illegal group. The judges are accused of forming an illegal group, disturbing security and social peace, as well as inciting strife among judges. An official source said the investigation is ongoing and the judges will not be resuming their work until a court ruling is issued. Judges for Egypt was known for their leading role in the movement demanding judicial independence in 2005-2006 under ousted president Hosni Mubarak. They helped monitor the post-25 January Revolution presidential elections, won by deposed president Mohamed Morsi, and they announced the results of the 2012 presidential elections a day before the High Presidential Electoral Commission (HPEC) released the results. Following Morsi's ouster, the group was accused of being affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood since its members, including its spokesperson Walid Sharabi, was seen at the Brotherhood sit-in in Rabaa Al-Adawia calling for the reinstatement of Morsi last summer. Former Vice President Mohamed Mekki, former Deputy Head of the Appeals Court Mahmoud Al-Khodeiri, former Head of the Judges Club Zakaria Abdel-Aziz, and Vice Chairman of the Court of Cassation Mohamed Derbala are among those referred to the disciplinary board. Morsi trial postponed THE CAIRO Criminal Court decided on Monday to postpone the trial of deposed president Mohamed Morsi, accused of escaping from prison, until 7 June, when a senior prison official will have taken the witness stand to testify against the defendants. Among 130 defendants including many prominent Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Morsi is facing trial for escaping from Wadi Al-Natrun Prison on 29 January 2011 during the early days of the 25 January Revolution. The charges relating to the prison break include damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder and looting weapon depots at three separate Egyptian prisons. According to the prosecutions' investigations during the first trial session held on 28 January, the prison break occurred when 800 foreigners affiliated with Hamas and Hizbullah infiltrated Egypt from Gaza through tunnels with heavy arms including RPGs and mortars, which they used against police and government installations in the eastern border area, killing several policemen. They later moved in three groups to attack Wadi Al-Natrun Prison in Beheira Governorate and Abu Zaabal and Al-Marg prisons in Cairo, according to the prosecution, which they successfully broke into, killing over 50 policemen and prisoners while freeing Muslim Brotherhood members together with 20,000 prisoners. They also vandalised and stole police equipment, cars and arms, and kidnapped four policemen. Morsi's co-defendants in the case include Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, Freedom and Justice Party general secretary Mohamed Al-Beltagui, and controversial preacher Safwat Hegazi. Morsi, who has been in custody since being ousted on 3 July, is also co-defendant in three other trials: inciting the killing of protestors during deadly clashes outside the presidential palace in December 2012, insulting the judiciary, and for working with foreign Islamist groups to induce chaos in Egypt. Nasr City under attack IN THE EARLY hours of Tuesday, assailants driving a car killed three soldiers and injured a police officer and eight other soldiers in Nasr City district. The police reportedly came under fire by three passengers in a speeding car while they were attempting to disperse a demonstration by hundreds of Al-Azhar University student supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi outside the university dormitory. Security experts claimed the assailants might be in league with the students as the forces were busy dealing with the student protest when they were targeted. Other observers expressed their frustration with the police performance as Tuesday's terrorist attack occurred within a highly secured and fortified square that includes the National Security Apparatus headquarters and the Nasr City Police Station in addition to the Al-Azhar University dorms that witnesses protests on a daily basis. For his part Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim mourned the three conscripts who were killed, extending his sincere condolences to the families of the killed conscripts, wishing the injured a speedy recovery to. Such cowardly operations will only make policemen more resolved to continue the fight against terrorism, Ibrahim stressed. Attacks on police and army personnel have become frequent across Egypt since the ouster of Morsi last July. At least 500 officers and soldiers have been killed. Last week Ibrahim said, “security forces have uncovered 40 terrorist cells since April and the authorities are at a decisive stage in curbing terrorism.” Minister warned JUDGES and prosecutors have submitted a notarised warning to the Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim and the head of security in Damietta over the kidnapping of prosecutor Ahmed Omar. The Beni Suef prosecutor Omar was kidnapped while travelling to Manzala in Damietta on Saturday. The Legal Committee for the Defence of Judges and Members of the Prosecution accused the Interior Ministry of failing to prevent the kidnapping of the prosecutor or even find the kidnappers. Meanwhile, the kidnappers were able to intercept a phone call made by Omar's father when he reported the incident to the police. Omar's father said he paid the ransom after he lost faith in the Interior Ministry's ability to rescue his son. The warning also accused the Interior Minister of negligence for his failure to secure the road on which the kidnapping took place. Police and soldiers are being assassinated by armed groups, courts are being torched and judges assaulted, the warning continued. The Judges Committee said it would take legal action against Ibrahim unless the kidnappers were caught and the ransom returned within one week.
