Funeral held for former Egyptian justice minister Ahmed El-Zend

Funeral prayers for former Justice Minister Ahmed El-Zend were held at Marshal Tantawi Mosque on Saturday, after his death at 80.

• El-Zend, former justice minister and ex-head of the Judges Club, died Saturday morning at about 80 following a recent health crisis.
• His body was taken to Marshal Tantawi Mosque, then buried at Cairo cemeteries on the Ain Sokhna road.
• Justice Minister Mahmoud Helmy El-Sherif issued a statement mourning El-Zend and offering condolences to his family and Egypt's judges.
• El-Zend's son received mourners during the funeral procession at Marshal Tantawi Mosque on Saturday.
• The Judges Club board issued a statement mourning El-Zend and praising his defense of the judiciary's independence.
• The funeral prayers were held after the afternoon prayer, attended by his family, judges, and public figures.
• Preacher Mazhar Shahin mourned El-Zend on Facebook, saying a tenth of his faith outweighs the entire Brotherhood's, and urged against gloating.
• Ali al-Hawari, head of the Ismailia Court of Appeal, offered condolences, calling El-Zend's passing a loss for Egypt's judicial family.
• Media personality Amr Adib praised El-Zend's clarity and refusal to take a middle path, criticizing those who gloated over his death.