EGYPT: Presidential decree increases military power On Monday, President Sisi issued a decree that grants the military purview of all state infrastructure and refers the perpetrators of crimes against state infrastructure to a military court. According to a presidential spokesman, this new law will protect stations, power networks and towers, gas and oil fields, rail lines, road networks, and bridges, as well as any other vital facilities for two years. These measures follow a Friday attack on a military base that killed thirty soldiers, and the subsequent, three-month state of emergency declaration. Comment: Activists have criticized the law for being too broadly defined and have expressed fears that the law may also be applied to universities, where students have been protesting the political crackdown of the Sisi government. Previous military trials under the Mubarak administration were known for being held in secret and handing down swift, harsh judgments to poorly represented civilian defendants. According to experts, ending military trials was a main objective for protesters in the 2011 uprising that ousted Mubarak.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 19:43:15 +0000
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