Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Egypt has approved new anti-terrorism laws in order to fight a spreading jihadist insurgency.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi vowed to bring in new law against terrorism after the car bomb of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat in late June.
The new law establish special courts and offer additional protection from legal consequences for military and police officers who have used force.
They also impose the death penalty for anyone who arranges or leads a terrorist group.
The government introduced the new law on Monday that 10 years in prison for anyone joining a militant group,
life in prison (25 years) for anyone financing terrorist groups, five to seven years sentences for anyone inciting violence or creating websites in order to spread terrorist messages,
and 200,000 to 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($25,550-$64,000) fines for anyone publishing or spreading “false” reports on of militant attacks.
It is considered by some critics that the fines may close down small newspapers and discourage newspapers from reporting on attacks and operations against militants.
Said Boumedouha, Middle East & North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International said “This new law will become yet another tool for the authorities to crush all forms of dissent and steamroll over basic human rights.”
The president has overseen hundreds of Islamists have been killed, tens of thousands detained and sentenced to death.
He signed off on anti-terrorism laws in February that gave authorities powers to ban groups on charges ranging from harming national unity to disrupting public order.
