Travel ban on Brotherhood judges, 79 Brothers referred to criminal court

An investigations judge summoned leading pro-Brotherhood judges and issued them with a travel ban, state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported Sunday.

The judges banned from traveling are the founders of the Judges for Egypt coalition, an umbrella group formed during the short rule of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, including those who support the Muslim Brotherhood group.

They include former Vice President Mahmoud Mekki, former Justice Ministers Ahmed Mekki 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 Agency Hesham Genena, current deputy head of the Appeals Court Nagui Derbala, and former head of the Judges Club Zakareya Abdel Aziz.

The decision follows a report submitted by National Security alleging that the judges formed an illegal group, stirring sedition among the ranks of judges and threatening public security.

Al-Ahram reported that this movement allegedly attracted nine other judges from the State Litigation Authority.

The investigations judge stressed that the judges in question would be considered fugitives if they do not respond to the court summons.

Meanwhile, Alexandria’s public prosecutor referred 79 members of the Muslim Brotherhood to the Criminal Court on Sunday for their alleged involvement in clashes with pro-army demonstrators on July 26, which left 12 dead and dozens injured, Al-Ahram reported.

The defendants are accused of killing 12 protesters, the attempted murder of several others, using violence to scare citizens, blocking roads and traffic, vandalizing property, illegal ownership of weapons, possessing torture tools and torturing 12 protesters in Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque.

Fierce clashes broke out in the area surrounding the mosque between thousands of Brotherhood members and army supporters who marched in support of the leader of the Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s campaign to “fight terrorism.”