Egypt said decision of judiciary on Professor Ibrahm is independent

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ali Maher Wednesday reaffirmed the independence of the Egyptian judiciary and the rule of law in the country pointing out that some quarters were trying to raise doubts about the verdict recently passed on Saad-Eddin Ibrahim, Professor of Socio-Politics at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

Ibrahim, head of Ibn Khaldoun 'center for the developing studies' in Cairo, is accused of receiving foreign funds for his center without authorization.

The Minister said that Egypt does not bow to storms nor give in to pressure.

He told reporters that professor Ibrahim was charged by an Egyptian court of law and as any other defendant he has the right to appeal the sentence. Maher declined to make any comments on the court's ruling.

However, Maher said that Egypt is an important country which maintains strategic relations with the United States, adding that the present hustle over the case is the act of a minority in the US.

"The majority of the American people appreciate Egypt's pivotal role in the Middle East," Maher said.