7 judges sent to retirement for MB affiliation

Seven members of the Judges for Egypt movement were sent to retirement on Monday for belonging to the deposed Muslim Brotherhood group, violating judicial traditions, and involvement in politics, state-owned EgyNews website reported.

The retired judges were also accused of declaring the same results as the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party following the June 2012 presidential elections, before the official declaration of the Supreme Electoral Commission had been made.

The movement was formed during the reign of ousted President Mohamed Morsi, and was slammed for its affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood group. 

It continuously declared its support to a contentious constitutional declaration issued by Morsi in November 2012, immunizing his decision from judicial appeal and giving him supreme political powers.

The judges were investigated by a disciplinary committee formed by the Court of Cassation to investigate the judges' involvement in politics, after a lawsuit was filed by Ministry of Justice.

The committee decided earlier to sack the movement's spokesperson, judge Walid Sharaby, who traveled to Qatar before the committee's decision.

The retired judges include Hazem Saleh, Emad Abu Hashim, Mohamed Attallah, Mostafa Dweidar, Ahmed Radwan, Emad al-Bendary, and Ayman Youssef.

Other judges allegedly belonging to the banned Islamist organization were previously prohibited from travelling as part of the committee's investigation into their affiliation with the movement.

They include former Vice President Mahmoud Mekky, former Justice Ministers Ahmed Mekky and Ahmed Soliman, former head of the Supreme Judicial Council and former head of the 2012 Constituent Assembly Hossam al-Gheriany, former head of the Appeals Court Mahmoud al-Khodairy, current head of the Central Auditing Organization Hisham Geneina, current deputy head of the Appeals Court Nagui Derbala, and former head of the Judges Club Zakareya Abdel Aziz.

The disciplinary committee investigations are based on reports submitted by National Security alleging that the judges formed an illegal group, stirring sedition among the ranks of judges and threatening public security.