Court Brawls Put Spotlight On Egypt Political Chaos

Supporters of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood brawled with their opponents in court on Tuesday, delaying rulings that might help define the powers of new Islamist President Mohamed Morsi as he seeks more autonomy from the military.

Mursi’s Brotherhood allies hailed a “decisive” day in a chaotic transition to democracy and hundreds of supporters turned up at the courthouse to accuse the generals of using the judiciary to undermine his authority.

Overwhelmed by the shouting and jostling, the presiding judge suspended the hearing and moved to another courtroom to try to restore order. But many lawyers left as the disruption dragged on and the day ended with little progress.

“This court has always taken pride that its chambers are open to the public,” Judge Abdel Salam el-Naggar told the court. “What happened in that chamber – is such terrorism appropriate?”

The anger on display in the courtroom underscores widespread frustration at a chaotic and faltering democratic transition made possible by last year’s overthrow of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak.

Reuters