EGYPT: Egypt's highest appeals court dismissed an appeal by Ayman Nour, the distant runner-up in last year's presidential elections, against a five-year jail sentence.
Separately, in the same courthouse, a senior judge, Hisham Bastawisi, who has led a campaign for an end to executive interference in the judiciary, was reprimanded at a disciplinary committee hearing.
Mr Bastawisi, who survived a heart attack on Wednesday and was not in court, was accused along with another judge, Mahmoud Mekky, of bringing the judiciary into disrepute for his role in exposing fraud in parliamentary polls. Mr Mekky was cleared.
The hearings took place as security men - armed by the police with batons - beat up demonstrators supporting the judges. More than 200 people were arrested, most of them members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. In a crowded market area just north of the court, photographer Tara Todras-Whitehill said plainclothes men backed by riot police chased a group of about 800 people down the street and picked off stragglers for attack.
"They took those closest to the end while the other demonstrators dispersed. I saw at least 20 people being beaten with fists and kicks and short clubs."
The events in Cairo yesterday took place as Bush administration officials defended US military and economic aid to Egypt - amounting to €47 billion - despite calls by members of Congress for a re-evaluation.
While acknowledging concerns about the pace of reform, David Welch, US assistant secretary of state, said Egypt's role as a partner fighting terrorism, in allowing US over-flights to Iraq, and in pursuing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians was "irreplaceable".