The Cairo Cassation Court adjourned on Sunday its ruling as to whether Judge Moataz Khafagy will continue to preside over the Al-Nahda sit-in dispersal case to 7 September. The trial is on hold until the court rules on the demand of the plaintiff.
The session was set to be held in the Cairo Appeal Court but was transferred to the Police Institute in Tora for security reasons.
Earlier last week, lawyer Mohamed Magdy filed a request demanding the dissolution of the panel, particularly Khafagy. The judge had previously shown an “aggressive attitude” towards the Muslim Brotherhood in press statements, according to Magdy.
Magdy demanded Khafagy step down from presiding over the case for pre-judging the defendants, of which the majority belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The case of the Al-Nahda sit-in dispersal included about 379 defendants. They are being tried on charges of intended murder, joining an outlawed group, and hindering the implementation of the Constitution, among other charges. Although demands for the dissolution of the judging panel increased across different cases, none of them have been accepted.
