Egypt's public prosecutor resigns a month after appointment

Egypt's public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Mursi last month, resigned on Monday, Dec 17, in a move welcomed by Mursi's opponents as a victory for the independence of the judiciary, Reuters reported.

Public prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim stepped down after a furore among judges who said Mursi's decision in November to sack the former public prosecutor and appoint Ibrahim was an assault on their independence.

The former public prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, had served for many years under former Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in February 2011.

The main state newspaper al-Ahram said Ibrahim's resignation would be presented to the supreme judicial council on Sunday.

A senior judge who had opposed his appointment urged other members of the judiciary to suspend a strike launched in protest. Many judges had voiced anger over a decree Mursi issued on November 22 expanding his powers and temporarily putting himself above judicial review. The decree spurred nationwide protests and deadly clashes between Mursi's supporters and opponents.

Mursi sacked Mahmoud the same day to try to appease protesters demanding the retrial of officials they say were involved in carrying out violence against them during last year's uprising.

Mursi had already tried to remove Mahmoud in October to calm protesters furious about the acquittal of a number of senior officials who had stood trial over the issue. The move kicked up a storm of protest from judges who said the president had exceeded his powers and was threatening their independence.