Egypt cracks down on dissent, reporters
New law sets out harsher penalties in terror cases
Egypt’s president has approved a far- reaching anti- terrorism law that establishes stiffer prison sentences for terror- related offences, heavy fines for journalists who publish “false news” and a special judicial circuit for terrorism cases.
Authorities claim the measures will halt attacks by Islamic militants and stop the spread of their ideology, but the new restrictions have prompted concern from rights groups and even some politicians and senior judges.
The bill, signed into law Sunday by President Abdel- Fattah el- Sissi, sketches out an extremely broad definition of terrorism, describing it in one article as any act that disturbs public order with force. Some charges, such as leading or organizing a terrorist group, carry the death penalty.
The law also prescribes stiff jail sentences for a range of crimes, including promoting or encouraging any “terrorist offence,” as well as damaging state institutions or infrastructure, such as military or government buildings, courthouses, power and gas lines as well as archeological sites.
Egyptians lived under so- called “emergency laws” for decades that gave police sweeping powers, encouraging a culture of excess and brutality among security forces, something that partially inspired the 2011 uprising against longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The law was suspended after his overthrow.
Rights activists say that the new anti- terrorism law is even more draconian than the emergency law, and note that police under el- Sissi have already begun to act with the impunity of the Mubarak days, torturing detainees and denying them basic medical services in overcrowded prisons and police holding cells. The government denies these charges and insists that offenders don’t go unpunished, but policemen rarely face prosecution, and even fewer serve jail time.
The new law would to some extent absolve the security forces from prosecution, with an article stipulating that there would be no criminal inquiries against those who use force to implement its statutes or protect themselves or property from imminent danger. The law does however stipulate that the use of force be “necessary and proportionate.”
It also sets heavy fines of 200,000 to 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 33,000 to $ 83,000) for publishing “false news or statements” about terrorist acts, or news contradicting the Defence Ministry’s reports. It also sanctions, with a minimum of five years prison, the “promotion, directly or indirectly, of any perpetration of terrorist crimes, verbally or in writing or by any other means.”
It was not immediately clear what the government or the judiciary would consider to be “false news,” or if the new law would criminalize the publication of statements from militant groups or facts that contradict the government’s narrative.
Previous drafts of the law had stipulated prison terms for journalists.
El- Sissi has promised parliamentary elections before the end of this year.