Cairo University dismisses former prime minister after prison sentence

Cairo University has dismissed the former prime minister of Egypt from his position in the Faculty of Engineering following the prison sentence handed down to the Mubarak-era official. Egypt’s civil law makes it clear that employment is terminated if someone is sent to prison and thus loses credibility.

Ahmed Nazif was sentenced by Cairo Criminal Court to five years in prison last week after a retrial of a corruption case related to the embezzlement of public money while he was in office. He can appeal against the verdict at the Court of Cassation; if it decides to look at the appeal, he will be tried again for the second and final time, but if the court rejects the appeal the Criminal Court’s ruling will be upheld.

Cairo and other universities have dismissed dozens of professors belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood following court rulings against them or due to their absence from work. Those dismissed include ousted President Mohamed Morsi, who was dismissed from the University of Zagazig for “absence”; the head of the dissolved People’s Assembly Dr Mohamed Saad Katatni; and the professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Dr Mohamed Badie, who was dismissed from Beni Swaif University.