AI fears abusive govt powers in new "anti-terror law"
Amnesty International issued a statement Friday expressing concerns over the govt's new "anti-terror law" currently in the making.
One of Mubarak’s promises during his “electoral campaign� last year was the abolishing of the notorious Emergency Law, with which he ruled Egypt since 1981, and replace it with an “anti-terror law.� The Emergency law is regarded as the Grim Reaper in the nation's political scene. It gives the government abusive powers to lock any suspect for 6 months, break demonstrations, and stiffle political life. Though the government claims it's only used against "terrorists and drug dealers," it's clear who is the law used against: Sharqawi, Sha3er, 3alaa, Ibrahim, Kamal, Wael, and hundreds of other activists from the movement for change, as well as thousands of detainees who are languishing in prisons since 1981, and millions of Egyptians in their daily life encounters with the Egyptian police.
Of course, as we know, our president's promise went with the wind (together with few others) as the NDP-controlled parliament voted last April to extend the law for another two years, fearing a “legal vacuum if the emergency law is abolished now� as Mubarak put it.
Now that the regime’s legal experts are well cooking the new anti-terror law, Amnesty International echoed the fears expressed by Egyptian rights activists and opposition group in a statement and memorandum sent to Mubarak.
One of Mubarak’s promises during his “electoral campaign� last year was the abolishing of the notorious Emergency Law, with which he ruled Egypt since 1981, and replace it with an “anti-terror law.� The Emergency law is regarded as the Grim Reaper in the nation's political scene. It gives the government abusive powers to lock any suspect for 6 months, break demonstrations, and stiffle political life. Though the government claims it's only used against "terrorists and drug dealers," it's clear who is the law used against: Sharqawi, Sha3er, 3alaa, Ibrahim, Kamal, Wael, and hundreds of other activists from the movement for change, as well as thousands of detainees who are languishing in prisons since 1981, and millions of Egyptians in their daily life encounters with the Egyptian police.
Of course, as we know, our president's promise went with the wind (together with few others) as the NDP-controlled parliament voted last April to extend the law for another two years, fearing a “legal vacuum if the emergency law is abolished now� as Mubarak put it.
Now that the regime’s legal experts are well cooking the new anti-terror law, Amnesty International echoed the fears expressed by Egyptian rights activists and opposition group in a statement and memorandum sent to Mubarak.