Lawyer protests sweeping the country for the past two weeks have caused many courtroom delays, including the adjournment of two high-profile cases. The Zeitoun Cell case--in which 24 suspects have been accused of armed roberry and membership in a terrrorist organization--has been adjourned by the Supreme State Security Court until Monday, as requested by defense lawyers who joined a strike in solidarity with their colleagues in Gharbeiya. The last court session for the Zeitoun case witnessed clashes between public prosecutors and the defense over a witness who testified that the detention decision was issued by the public prosection. Prosecutors claimed this was a mistake on the part of the witness, a state security officer in Daqahliya, and that the detention decision was in fact issued by the Interior Ministry. The trial had been scheduled to resume yesterday where new witnesses and experts were to give their testomonies. Similarly, the State Security Misdemeanor Court also adjourned yesterday the case of the Naga Hammadi church shootings--in which 7 people were killed last Christmas Eve--to 18 September. The decision came due to the absence of the defense lawyers, who were taking part in the strikes, and in order to hear the testimony of Father Kyrillos, the bishop of Naga Hammadi. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
