CAIRO — Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Thursday sacked Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, the general prosecutor, to try to appease protesters demanding the retrial of officials they say were involved in orchestrating violence against them during last year's uprising.

Morsi tried to remove Mahmoud in October to calm protesters furious about the acquittal of a number of senior state officials who had stood trial over the issue, but was forced to keep him in place after judges protested.

Talat Abdullah was appointed the new general prosecutor. "The public prosecutor general will occupy his post for a period of four years," said Yasser Ali, a presidential spokesman,  in a statement aired live on state TV.

Ali said the new decree applies immediately, thereby forcing the current prosecutor from his post. Mahmoud had been public prosecutor for many years.