Cairo, March 14 (RHC-teleSUR), -- Egypt fired Justice Minister Ahmed Zend Sunday after he was criticized for saying he would jail Islam's Prophet Mohammad if he broke the law. "Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a decree today to relieve Ahmed Zend ... of his position," a government statement said, giving no more details.

Zend’s firing comes a few days after his comments on jailing Prophet Mohammad went viral. When asked about jailing journalists in Egypt during a TV interview, the former minister said "even if it's the prophet - peace and prayers be upon him - the wrongdoer regardless of their stature" would be imprisoned if they break the law.

Zend was appointed by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last year after his predecessor was sacked. His appointment was seen then as a demonstration of Sissi’s clampdown on dissent by secular activists.

Meanwhile, Egyptian judges issued a statement opposing Zend's removal over what the head of the Judges Club Abdallah Fathi told Reuters was a slip of the tongue that could have happened to anyone, stressing that Zend had “defended Egypt and its people, judiciary and nation in the face of the terrorist organisation,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood.