Egypt's Supreme Judiciary Council decided on Tuesday to investigate the progress of an illegal funding case involving various domestic and foreign non- governmental organizations (NGOs).

The Supreme Judiciary Council called upon people and media not to exert pressure on this case so as to protect the judiciary's independent work both inside and outside Egypt, official news agency MENA quoted Secretary General Mohammad Eid Salem of Supreme Judiciary Council as saying.

The council would take legal actions against those involved in any act that violates the judiciary's independency, Salem added.

Prosecutors accused the NGOs of operating in Egypt without work permits and receiving foreign funds illegally, and initially issued a travel ban on 43 defendants who were those NGOs' workers.

However, 15 NGO defendants, including eight Americans, three Serbians, two Germans, one Norwegian and one Palestinian, flew out of Egypt's capital Cairo on a special plane to Cyprus last week when Egypt lifted the travel ban.

On Tuesday, Egypt's Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri blamed the judiciary for lifting the travel ban imposed on the foreign defendants, MENA reported.

Dealing with the case is judiciary's duty, and no one could intervene in judiciary affairs, Ganzouri said at a press conference at the Egyptian General Authority for Investment.

Some NGOs involved in the illegal funding case asked Egypt's Ministry of Social Affairs for work permits 45 days ago, but have not received any yet, Ganzouri noted.