The head of Egypt's Lawyers Syndicate Sameh Ashour (Photo: Al-Ahram)
The head of Egypt's Lawyers Syndicate Sameh Ashour said Sunday that the union suspended work in two Cairo courts for one day after a police officer reportedly shot and injured a lawyer in a Cairo court on Saturday while he was "doing his job."
Ashour told Ahram Online that the incident is being investigated by Egypt's acting prosecutor-general and that the syndicate will not tolerate police violations against lawyers.
"The accused person is currently detained and we are waiting for the results of the investigations," said Ashour.
The injured lawyer, who has been hospitalised, has accused a police officer of shooting him in a Cairo court during a dispute.
Ashour said that the syndicate decided to strike in North Cairo Court and Madinet Nasr Court to protest the assault.
"For now we will not take any more measures, we will just wait for the result of the investigations," said Ashour.
Ashour added that he had visited the lawyer concerned and that his medical condition is stable.
Lawyers have been protesting police assaults since the rule of former autocrat Hosni Mubarak.
A recent nationwide lawyers' strike took place early June to protest an incident of an assault by a police officer against a lawyer in a court in the city of Damietta, as well as recurring police violations against syndicate members.
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