Tension in Egypt after top prosecutor retracts resignation

Cairo: Egypt’s newly-appointed Prosecutor General Talat Ibrahim Abdullah withdrew his resignation on Thursday, state TV reported.

Abdullah said that his resignation came under ‘ambiguous and extraordinary’ circumstances and under compulsion of prosecution members. He noted that he withdrew his resignation as he did not accept that history would record their success in such a way to pressure him to resign, state-run al-Ahram online reported. He added that all the documents of his resignation and withdrawal had been sent to the Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki to give his final decision. Abdullah submitted his resignation to the head of Supreme Judicial Council on Monday, following a sit-in by some prosecutors outside his office. According to the state-run al-Ahram online, the Supreme Judicial Council held an urgent meeting to discuss a demand submitted by Abdullah to the council asking for withdrawing his resignation. The council said in a statement that after the council discussed the reasons behind Abdullah`s resignation, it decided to refer his demand to the Justice Minister to take the necessary measures. In response to Abdullah`s resignation withdrawal, prosecution members nationwide threatened to start an open-ended sit-in outside his office at the Supreme Court and suspend all their work at the country`s courts and prosecutions. "Abdullah`s resignation was valid, unblemished and free from pressures," they said on Thursday in a joint statement. The statement further raised suspicion about the reason for taking back the resignation, saying Abdullah`s decision followed his meeting with members of independent Judges for Egypt Movement and a member of the dissolved Parliament. On November 22, Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi appointed Abdullah as new prosecutor general for four years, to replace former Prosecutor General Abdel-Maguid Mahmoud. Mursi`s appointment was included in a new constitutional declaration announced last month, stipulating that the presidential decree is entitled to appoint a prosecutor general for a four-year term among the members of the council. ANI