Sinai Bedouins surround court, demand defendant's release

Ayman Abu Zaid
Sun, 08/05/2011

Bedouins surrounded the South Sinai Criminal Court and fired bullets in the air in order to pressure the court to release a relative named Youssef Hussein Atwa, whom the court has sentenced to seven years in prison.

A security source said that three judges and other members of the public prosecution have been trapped inside the court building since the sentence was issued at 12 noon on Sunday, and that the police and the army have only secured the building from the outside.

They added that negotiations started with the Bedouins to end their siege in preparation for releasing the defendant at a later time.

According to tribal sources, the police and the army had promised that the defendant would be acquitted.

Source: al-Masry al-Youm.
Link: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/428904.