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Egyptian court orders police to leave universities

24 October 2010 03:34 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Higher Administrative Court of Egypt upheld a final verdict on Saturday to end the long police presence in the public Egyptian universities, APA reports citing news.xinhuanet.com website.

This ruling came in response to the appeal of governmental officials including the prime minister and interior minister, reported local press.

The court announced its ruling, stressing that the presence of the police forces under the Ministry of Interior as guards within the universities has disturbed the independence, which is guaranteed by the Constitution, for both the professors and students.

Instead of police forces, the court ruled to establish civilian security units under the Ministry of Higher Education in order to take security duties in the universities.

In 2008, a lower court ruled in favor to a number of professors who filed a law suit against the presence of the Interior Ministry security units since the 1980s, when President Anwar Sadat rounded up political opponents. However, both the Ministry of Interior and Higher education appealed against this verdict.

The Minister of Higher Education Hani Hillal commented on local newspaper Youm 7 Saturday, explaining that the ministry will wait for the ruling draft, adding that the ministry will examine the governance and implementation of the court’s verdict.

Hillal stressed that the universities’ guards do not interfere in the education process, however, their role is to protect facilities and buildings only.