Talaat Ibrahim, who has stepped down as Egypt's public prosecutor. His appointment in November had riled the judiciary. Egypt's public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Morsi last month, resigned on Monday in a move welcomed by Morsi's opponents as a victory for the independence of the judiciary. Public prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim stepped down after a furore among judges who said Morsi's decision in November to sack the former public prosecutor and appoint Ibrahim was an assault on their independence. The former public prosecutor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, had served for many years under former Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in February 2011. The main state newspaper al-Ahram said Ibrahim's resignation would be presented to the supreme judicial council on Sunday. A senior judge who had opposed his appointment urged other members of the judiciary to suspend a strike launched in protest. Many judges had voiced anger over a decree Morsi issued on 22 November expanding his powers and temporarily putting himself above judicial review. The decree spurred nationwide protests and deadly clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents. Morsi sacked Mahmoud the same day to try to appease protesters demanding the retrial of officials they say were involved in carrying out violence against them during last year's uprising. Morsi had already tried to remove Mahmoud in October to calm protesters furious about the acquittal of a number of senior officials who had stood trial over the issue. The move kicked up a storm of protest from judges who said the president had exceeded his powers and was threatening their independence.