Egypt Cabinet says no more Emergency Law
Egypt's Cabinet says it will end the country's Emergency Laws ahead of voting this fall.
CAIRO: The Egyptian cabinet announced on Thursday it is lifting the emergency law before the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for later this fall.
The end of the law, which has been in effect for three decades has been a key demand for rights activists for years.
The cabinet discussed the law and other political and economic development in its 22nd meeting on Thursday.
“The government assured from the start that it will not take any exceptional measures based on the emergency law, yet we are committed to the rule of law and resorting to normal judges and normal judiciary measures and all political and criminal detainees have been released and ended the curfew,” the cabinet reported on its website.
“According to what the government adhered to regarding the necessity to bring an end to the emergency law before the parliamentary elections, therefore the cabinet decided to put an end to the emergency law in coordination with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces,” it added.
The infamous law allowed police officers to conduct random arrests, only based on suspension and gave them the right to hold detainees for up to 15 days without pressing charges against them. Those 15 day “holdings” could be renewed indefinitely.
Many Egyptian rights activists have protested against the law, saying it opened the door for human rights abuses. They repeatedly petitioned for its cancellation and asked ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s regime to drop it, but the government did not.
That same demand was again brought under the spotlight by activists and protesters during the 18-day uprising that put an end to the 30-year rule of Mubarak.
BM
Section: Egypt, Human Rights
Loading ...
