Looking At The US From Egypt: An embattled democracy

Stewart faces up to 35 years in prison, in essence a life sentence for the 65-year-old grandmother. Her sentencing is set for 15 July and she remains free on bail until then. Because she was convicted of a felony, she was immediately disbarred, ending a career in law that spanned four decades.

"Nobody ever imagined until George Bush became president and John Ashcroft attorney-general that these kinds of consequences would be poured down on a lawyer," Tigar said in an interview with the national radio and television programme "Democracy Now!"

Stewart's conviction was immediately hailed as a victory by Ashcroft's successor, Alberto Gonzales, who said it "sends a clear, unmistakable message that this department will pursue both those who carry out acts of terrorism and those who assist them with their murderous goals."

The attorney-general, who has gained notoriety for his advocacy of torture in post-9/ 11 America, may be right. Stewart's conviction does indeed send a clear and unmistakable message. As she herself said in an interview on "Democracy Now!" the day after her conviction. "Lawyers will now conduct cases with an eye over their shoulder to make sure they're supporting the government's case. In other words, no challenge, no client-centred defence will take place if you're thinking all the time, 'what am I going to do if they indict me like they did with Lynne Stewart.'"

This does not bode well for the thousands of men and women held in US prisons seeking their fundamental right to counsel -- from the US to Guantanamo Bay to Abu Ghraib and beyond.

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