Egypt court orders back prosecutor sacked by Morsi

An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the reinstatement of public prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmud, whose sacking in November sparked a bitter row between President Mohamed Morsi and the judiciary. The Court of Appeals "issued a final ruling ordering the return of Abdel Meguid Mahmud as public prosecutor," the official MENA news agency reported. The current prosecutor, Talaat Abdallah, said he "respects all judicial decisions," a statement from his office said. It said that Abdallah's deputy, Hussein Yassin, "is now acting public prosecutor." Tuesday's ruling further isolates Morsi who is facing huge pressure to quit after millions took to the streets nationwide to demand his resignation. On Monday, the armed forces gave Morsi and all political forces a 48-hour ultimatum to meet the demands of the people before intervening with a political roadmap. Morsi sacked Mahmud in November, in a decree that granted the president sweeping powers and placed his decisions beyond judicial review. Mahmud was replaced by Abdallah. The decree was eventually repealed under immense street pressure, but the decisions stemming from it were protected by the constitution that was passed in December. Mahmud's sacking had intensified long-running tensions between the presidency and the judiciary which accuses Morsi of interfering in its independence. Since coming to power a year ago, Morsi has battled with the judiciary, the media and the police.