The Lawyers Syndicate announced its suspension of all forms of protest until the Court of Cassation issues its ruling on the lawyers vs judges dispute on 5 September. While lawyers generally expressed their relief over the launching of investigations into the alleged assault on fellow lawyer Ehab Saeedin, the lawyer-activists of the general syndicate and its branches in the governorates said they were frustrated by the syndicate's decision. A small number of lawyers staged a protest yesterday in front of the High Court of Justice calling for the immediate release of their colleagues. They also expressed their rejection of the syndicate's decision to freeze protests. Mokhtar el-Ashri, rapporteur for the media committee at the Lawyers Syndicate, said the syndicate will await the ruling but insists that the result of investigations with Bassem Abul Rous--the senior prosecutor in Tanta who the lawyers accuse of instigating the attack in question--be announced and that their demands concerning regulation of the relationship between lawyers and judges be satisfied. Gamal Tag Eddin, a lawyer, criticized the syndicate's decision to end protests, accusing it of trying to woo the government which he said is taking the judges' side. Montasser el-Zayyat, member of the defense team for the lawyers, said he was satisfied with the recent developments, adding that this time the team had been given sufficient time to plead their case. Lawyers in Gharbiya were angry that the ruling will be postponed until 5 September and that the lawyers are still under arrest. Galal Shalabi, head of the Lawyers Syndicate in Gharbiya, said that he has challenged the constitutionality of the trial. Shalabi explained that the law stipulates that judges cannot be both party to a conflict and an arbiter of the same conflict. If the appeal is allowed then all previous rulings will be disregarded and investigations recommenced, he added. Lawyers in South Sinai, 6th October, and Kafr el-sheikh continued their strikes. Mostafa el-Bardaei, deputy head of the Gharbiya Security Department, is reported to have testified that the lawyers did not assault or insult the prosecutor. Ahmed Fathi, an investigation officer, said he witnessed the fight but could not recall what the exact insults made by the lawyers were. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
