Three judges in Egypt investigated after publicly criticizing the military

The country’s justice ministry is investigating three judges who spoke out against the military trials of civilians in Egypt.

The judges publicly criticized transferring civilians to criminal courts, al-Ahram newspaper reported.

During their media interviews judges said that the tribunals did not guarantee the rights provided by civilian courts.

The Justice Minister ordered the investigation because the trio had not obtained permission to speak to the media, the newspaper reported. The judges say they do not need such permission.

Rim Magued, a hostess of a popular show on private channel ON-TV invited the journalist, Hossam al-Hamalawy, who said that the military had violated human rights.

Mr. al-Hamalawy, who is also a blogger, said that he had evidence to back his claims.

Both Ms. Magued and Mr. al-Hamalawy were called in by the military for questioning.

Egypt’s military was praised during the January uprising against former President Hosni Mubarak for not firing on protesters, but it is now being accused by non-government organizations of carrying out arbitrary arrests and torture.

Several pro-democracy activists, especially those active on the Internet, have also expressed frustration at the slow pace of reforms promised by the army after Mr. Mubarak’s ouster.

While the military was hailed for filling the power vacuum after the toppling of Mr. Mubarak, Egyptian rights groups estimate that the military has conducted more than 10,000 such trials since it took over the country after the ouster.

A recent report by Amnesty International said that the army forced women, detained in a protest, to undergo virginity tests in a step to stave off any allegations of rape by its forces.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Washington was concerned by the reports of a crackdown on journalists and judges.

“We are disturbed by the reports of efforts to crack down on journalists, and bloggers and judges and others,” she told reporters.

The military has denied the alleged abuses.

(Dina Al-Shibeeb, an editor at Al Arabiya English, can be reached at: [email protected])