A campaign supporting re-elected Lawyers Syndicate head Sameh Ashour officially apologised on Tuesday to the assaulted journalists, confirming that the ties between lawyers and journalists are strong and all perpetrators shall be held accountable by the syndicate.
The supporting campaign also said that there is a joint committee between the Press Syndicate and the Lawyers Syndicate that will investigate the assault cases. Members of the campaign will testify as eyewitnesses. The campaign also confirmed that a ceremony will be held to honour all the journalists who were covering the Lawyers Syndicate general assembly.
Several journalists were reportedly assaulted on Sunday, during the elections at the Lawyers Syndicate general assembly. The Press Syndicate condemned the reported acts and called on Ashour to take action against the perpetrators. They further called for an investigation into the matter, claiming that journalists were chased and had their equipment broken.
Prior to the Press Syndicate condemnation, Ashour had already apologised to the assaulted journalists and asked them for any footage of the assaults in order to identify the perpetrators.
During the elections on Sunday, a fight had broken out between supporters of Sameh Ashour and those who were calling for his ouster. Some lawyers reportedly assaulted the journalists who were assigned to cover the elections.
In February, more than 1,000 lawyers signed a petition calling for Ashour’s dismissal. In June, a movement called the National Front to Save the Lawyer (NFSL) was established against Ashour. After the results of the election on Sunday in Ashour’s favour, NFSL said that they will hold a sit-in at the Lawyers Syndicate headquarters.
