(DNE File Photo)
The Wednesday appointment of controversial judge Ahmed Al-Zind caused uproar amongst civilian parties’ circles, being described as “against the will of the people”.
Al-Zind was appointed following the resignation of the much-criticised Mahfouz Saber, who left his post following public outrage due to classist comments he made the week before.
The Popular Current Party said it was not surprised at the appointment, as it comes along with the latest string of anti-25 January Revolution policies the state is adopting. The party added that the state appointed a more “discriminative” element.
“The statements and history of Judge Al-Zind can be described as shameful to the path of justice in the country, which is already suffering” due to the current fight against terrorism ending with violating rights and freedoms, the party said.
The party described Al-Zind as a “supporter of corruption during the reign of the ousted president, as he for long demanded sons of judges to be appointed in the General Prosecution, regardless of their academic grades”.
Egypt’s legal sector, including the judiciary and the prosecution, is limited to graduates of the Faculty of Law at all Egyptian universities.
The country’s judiciary is considered one of the main pillars of the state, with judges, on a social level, highly respected and looked upon as “community leaders”.
The party demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb’s cabinet, and the formation of a “national unity government” consisting of cadres able to achieve “real development” not dependent on the West.
The veteran judge has, since 2009, twice been elected as the Judges’ Club’s head, the union that represents the judiciary. He replaced reformist Zakaria Abdel Aziz, and subsequently quelled a movement amongst the judiciary in the Mubarak-era, entitled the “Independence Current”, which sought independence from the executive power.
A similar reaction was adopted by the Misr Al-Qawia Party, which accused Al-Zind of having defended the regime of former president Hosni Mubarak. They party, which is a vocal opponent to the regime of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, asserted that the “Egyptian state will remain in the path of poverty and illiteracy as long as it is ruled by such minds”.
The Bread and Freedom Party (Al-Esh Wal Horreya) expressed its concerns that Al-Zind is accused of corruption in a case related to selling land owned by the state.
In a recent development, the Kefaya movement filed a lawsuit against Al-Zind, accusing him of selling land owned by the Judges Club branch in Port Said to his relative.
The Kefaya movement argued that Al-Zind is not the legal owner of the land that he sold, which is considered corruption. The movement demanded that the minister’s legal immunity be revoked, in order to prosecute him.
Currently one of the main anti-Mubarak reformist judges, former head of the Judges’ Club Abdel Aziz is being tried on charges of participating in the storming of the State Security building in March 2011.