Region | Egypt
Lawyers demand change in venue for Tamim trial
Some 1,500 lawyers have objected to holding the trial of the murdered Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim in Cairo, citing media frenzy about the case involving an Egyptian business tycoon.
- By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
- Published: 23:47 October 16, 2008
Cairo: Some 1,500 lawyers have objected to holding the trial of the murdered Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim in Cairo, citing media frenzy about the case involving an Egyptian business tycoon.
"With the large number of media people expected to swarm the court that will hear the case in southern Cairo, lawyers will not be able to do their job as usual," Mahmoud Basyouni, a lawyer, said.
A criminal trial is due to start tomorrow against Hesham Talaat Mustafa (49), an ex-chairman of one of Egypt's leading real estate developers. He is charged of involvement in Tamim's murder in Dubai on July 28.
Mohssen Al Sukkri, an ex-police officer, has claimed that Mustafa paid him $2 million (Dh7.34 million) to kill Tamim with whom the latter had an alleged affair. Mustafa has vehemently denied the charges.
"We experienced similar disruption some years ago when Ayman Nour was put on trial in the same courtroom," Basyouni said in reference to an Egyptian opposition figure, who is now jailed to five years on charges of forging official documents.
In a mass petition to Minister of Justice Mamdouh Bo'rae, around 1,500 lawyers have demanded the venue be moved to another courtroom outside Cairo to avoid disruption of their legal service, Basyouni said. The ministry is yet to respond.
Cairo, the Arab world's most populous capital, is usually gripped by traffic jams for most hours of the day. Tight measures will be imposed in and around the courtroom where the Tamim trial will be held, according to security sources.
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