The Cairo Appeals Court issued Monday a verdict to refer Judge Zakaria Abdul Aziz to retirement over charges of engaging in political work and storming the State Security headquarters situated in Nasr City during the 25 January Revolution in 2011.
The verdict was issued after extensive investigations were carried out upon the order of former justice minister Mahfouz Saber, who agreed to refer Abdul Aziz to investigations after receiving the official lawsuit.
The lawsuit accuses Abdul Aziz of inciting and participating in the storming of the State Security (now known as National Security Apparatus) headquarters in Nasr City on 5 March 2011, following the revolution. The accusations also included looting important and official documents from the building.
Abdul Aziz made press statements after the verdict, in which he asserted that the trial is not fair since the judge did not listen to the defence team and refused to listen to CD evidence that refutes his participation in the storming of State Security buildings in 2011.
“We are now living in oppression and state of fear; this is the result of being loyal and by loving your country,” Abdul Aziz told local media after the trial.
On 14 March 2015, the Disciplinary Board made a decision to refer the 41 judges to compulsory retirement, after they had issued a statement dated 6 July 2013. In the statement, they had expressed their stance on the 30 June uprising and its aftermath.
Subsequently, the head of the Judges Club and a number of club members filed a complaint to the Prosecutor General against them. They were subsequently referred to the disciplinary board, that decided to refer them to compulsory retirement.
