Head of the Lawyers Syndicate Sameh Ashour was ordered to form a crisis management committee following the assault of a lawyer in the city of Rashid.
Walid Nassar, a lawyer based in Rashid and lawyer for one of the housing associations in Beheira, met with the police chief in Rashid where he was informed about a decision to demolish a building that belongs to the association he works for.
An altercation took place between both parties as the lawyer legally objected the decision. The police chief ordered security to take the lawyer out of his office. The lawyer fell on the floor and sustained injuries in his head, chest, and elbows.
“When Nassar went to the hospital to file a report, the security men withdrew so that he could not file the report against them,” Ashour stated.
The incident reportedly ended with reconciliation between the police officers and the lawyers, which Ashour denied. He said a group of senior Interior Ministry officials went to the Lawyers Syndicate office to apologise for the incident on behalf of the police officer. This does not mean it was over, however, as the prosecution investigations are still ongoing, according to Ashour.
Nassar was transferred to the forensic authority to determine his injury condition. The prosecution was also ordered to summon the witnesses in the incident.
This incident comes amid increasing confrontations between lawyers and police officers. In early May, 12 lawyers received arrest warrants for protesting without a permit in front of the Lawyers Syndicate on 23 April.
During the same month, two lawyers were assaulted by officers from Dokki police station as tensions escalated between lawyers and police over the arrests of protesters against the maritime demarcation accord between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the Red Sea islands.
