Egypt president appoints new Justice Minister News
Egypt president appoints new Justice Minister

[JURIST] Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi [BBC profile] on Wednesday appointed Judge Ahmed el-Zind as the country’s new Justice Minster. El-Zind, who is known for being hostile towards the Muslim Brotherhood [BBC backgrounder], was sworn in [AP report] with al-Sisi presiding over the event. As Justice Minister, el-Zind plans to continue to seek and prosecute supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood members.

On Saturday an Egyptian court sentenced [JURIST report] Morsi and more than 100 others to death for their involvement in a mass prison break in 2011. Many of Morsi’s supporters belong to the Muslim Brotherhood and have become targets of current al-Sisi. On Sunday Egyptian authorities executed [JURIST report] six men convicted of killing two Egyptian soldiers. Last week Morsi supporters were sentenced [JURIST report] to life in prison for illegal protests and acts of violence which were destructive to the Al-Marg district of Cairo, but were said to be in protest of death sentences handed down for members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Members of the Brotherhood were also sentenced to death [JURIST report] early this year on charges of murder and possession of firearms stemming from clashes that took place days before Morsi’s ouster.