Egypt calls on the world to respect the independence of its judiciary

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on the world to respect the independence of its judiciary.

Badr Abdel-Atti, the spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement: “All countries of the world should understand that the Egyptian judiciary is completely independent.

“We cannot comment on court verdicts. Democracy’s principles entail the need for separation between powers; the law guarantees the right to full litigation.”

He pointed out that “if there were some provisions that have been issued, the General Prosecutors have already appealed against them before the Cassation Court and there is a process of litigation that will take time.”

He explained that the decision to execute Muslim Brotherhood elements in Minya “is not a final judgement but a decision to submit the documents to the Grand Mufti.”

The US, France, Sweden and Germany called on the Egyptian authorities to reverse the death sentences that were passed on Monday against the 37 supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi. They also criticised the court’s decision to submit the documents of more than 600 others, including the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie, to the Grand Mufti to get his religious opinion over the death sentences, in accordance with Egyptian law.