The trial of business tycoon Hesham Talat Mustafa and former police officer Mohsen el–Sokkary in the murder case of Lebanese singer Suzan Tameem was interrupted yesterday as a result of the Lawyers Syndicate’s general strike, which continues into its third week.
The syndicate dispatched one of its members to notify the court of the strike decision, which forbids lawyers from taking part in any case before a criminal court.
According to the decision, any lawyer who violates the strike decision can face a six-month suspension from his/her practice.
The court bench however rejected the syndicate’s decision, arguing that the court cannot cite a strike in its session minutes as a legitimate reason for postponing a hearing.
“As members of the syndicate we cannot violate its decision,” retorted Fareed el–Deeb, Mustafa’s lawyer, adding that a fellow lawyer has already been penalized for violating the syndicate’s decision.
After insistence on the part of Talaat and el–Sokkary to have the same lawyers plead their case, the bench decided to postpone the session to Tuesday.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
