Egypt: Morsi’s New Prosecutor Offers To Resign Over Powers Protests

Egypt’s new public prosecutor offered to resign from his post on Monday following protests about his appointment.

Talaat Ibrahim was appointed last month by Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi.

Under his controversial decree, allowing himself extensive new powers, Morsi fired former public prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud and replaced him with Ibrahim.

Following nationwide protests, Morsi agreed to revoke the decree but the new prosecutor-general remained in place.

On Monday over 1,300 members of the judiciary demonstrated outside Ibrahim’s office, calling for him to stand down.

According to state-owned, al-Ahram newspaper, security forces on Monday stopped a group of protestors from breaking into Ibrahim’s office to demand a meeting.

Under pressure, Ibrahim released a letter of resignation.

In his letter to the Supreme Judicial Council, published by Mena state news agency, Ibrahim said he wished to go back to his former position in the judicial system, re-examining investigations into the deaths of protestors when ex-President Hosni Mubarak was in power.

According to reports by Reuters news agency, Ibrahim’s resignation was met by protestors outside his office on Monday with cries of: “God is Great! Long live justice!”

Ibrahim’s resignation is expected to be formally presented before the Council next Sunday, following the final round of voting in a referendum on Egypt’s controversial draft constitution.