Egyptian president sacks top prosecutor ahead of protests

11 October 2012, 23:09 (GMT+05:00)

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Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi Thursday dismissed the country's chief prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, reported state television - a day after a court acquitted all defendants of masterminding a deadly 2011 attack on anti-Mubarak protesters, DPA reported.

Several groups, including Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, have said they will hold a mass protest on Friday after the clearing of 24 defendants, including former senior officials, on charges of sending gangs of camel riders, wielding whips and axes, to attack protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square more than a year ago.

The acquittals were the latest in a series of trials relating to protester deaths in which defendants were not found guilty for lack of evidence.

More than 800 protesters were killed in a popular revolt that eventually forced Hosny Mubarak to step down in February last year, according to an independent fact-finding fact committee.

The broadcaster said that Morsi appointed Mahmoud as Egypt's ambassador to the Vatican.