Islamists gather in front of Cairo Constitutional Court Cairo – Akram Ali Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court has announced that it will suspend its sessions indefinitely until its members are able to resume their mission of judging cases presented before it, free from the psychological and physical threats to which they are subjected
Egypt’s highest court described the day in a press release as “a pitch-black day in the record of the Egyptian judiciary down the ages.”
The press release details the event of the day adding: “As the court judges began to arrive in the early morning in order to attend their session, and as they approached its quarters, they saw that a crowd of people encircled the court from all side, closing the entryways to its gates, climbing over its walls and repeating chants and slogans denouncing its judges and inciting the people against them.”
The statement said the disturbance had prevented the judges from reaching the court, due to the threat to their safety in light of “unreassuringly” security conditions.
The statement went on to add: “The court records with the utmost sadness and pain that the methods of moral assassination of its judges - which has been previously practiced in recent times by this crowd and others belonging to it and which today demonstrates against the court - has led to this odious scene which is loaded with the shame and disgrace of its misleading defamation and falsification of facts.”
The court announced that “its judges have no choice but to announce to the people of Egypt that they are unable to continue the practice of their sacred duties in light of these conditions which are charged with malice, spite, vindictiveness and the manufacturing of false rivalries.”
A large number of demonstrators had gathered outside the court after lawyers left the building amid reports of the court’s decision to halt its work indefinitely. A number of protesters climbed over the court walls.
Security forces had reinforced its presence at the main gate of the court as a number of demonstrators attacked President of the Bar Sameh Ashour and Ahmed al-Zend, President of the Judges’ Club.
Protesters refused to depart from the perimeters of the court and demanded a call for a million-man demonstration against the Constitutional Court judges.