Morsi supporters clash with opponents in Cairo

Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have clashed with anti-government protesters rallying outside the Supreme Court in central Cairo to demand judicial reforms.

Morsi opponents held a protest rally outside Egypt’s Supreme Court on Friday, calling on the president to overhaul the judiciary, which they accused of supporting ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

Meanwhile, the president’s supporters arrived at the site upon a call by the Muslim Brotherhood for a demonstration outside the court, which has repeatedly challenged Morsi since he took office last June.

Two people were hurt when the two sides threw stones and Molotov cocktails at each other and gunfire was heard.

The protests come after a court overturned a presidential decree to sack Abdel Meguid Mahmud, the veteran state prosecutor appointed by Mubarak, and replace him with Talaat Abdallah.

Judges also challenged Morsi’s order for parliamentary polls this month, ruling that he had ratified a new electoral law without consulting the constitutional court.

Egypt has witnessed continuing anti-government protests since Morsi took office last June. The opposition accuses the president of leading a dictatorial government and deviating from the 2011 revolution that toppled the Western-backed Mubarak regime.

On April 15, an Egyptian court ordered that Mubarak’s imprisonment on charges related to the killings of revolutionaries can no longer continue, but he had to remain in custody pending investigation into fraud charges.

The ruling triggered street protests by infuriated Egyptians, who believe the former US ally should be sentenced to death over his leading role in the killing of demonstrators.