Jurists for Reform in Egypt

In Egypt, there is an encouraging movement among members of the judiciary, which has some popular support, seeking greater independence from the government.

The judiciary not being independent is, of course, bad in itself. However, if you needed any further proof that the government of Egypt does not regard itself as being in the business of protecting the rights of its citizens, you got it today. According to The New York Times:

Thousands of riot police officers sealed off access to the High Court on Thursday, beating and arresting protesters who had turned out to support two judges facing a disciplinary panel because they had accused the government of election fraud.

Police beat and arrested protesters who turned out to support two judges brought before a disciplinary panel in Cairo.

The huge show of force, appearing larger even than what was deployed in the Sinai after four bombings there this week, seemed to signal that President Hosni Mubarak's government had reached a breaking point over shows of dissent.

The focus was a relatively small demonstration over the treatment of the two judges and in support of more than 80 others who had been staging a sit-in for more than a week at the stately old Judges Club to demand an independent judiciary. [link dropped, bold added]

Read the rest. 7,000 of Egypt's 9,000 judges are pressing for reforms, including the right to monitor elections.

-- CAV