CAIRO
A host of human rights groups have denounced a draft anti-terrorism law brought forward by the Egyptian government, warning that the proposed legislation imposes an "undeclared state of emergency" in the country.
"The bill represents a brazen assault on the constitution…and undermines what remains of the Egyptian judicial system," seventeen rights groups said in a joint statement. "It imposes an undeclared and indefinite state of emergency and establishes a parallel judicial system."
The bill was passed by the Egyptian cabinet on Wednesday, one day after militants staged coordinated attacks on a number of security checkpoints in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
The draft law is now awaiting approval from President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who holds the legislative authority.
The proposed legislation lists at least 12 crimes that are punishable by death. It also proposes no less than two years in jail for publishing news about terrorist acts that contradict official statements.
According to the rights groups, the bill defines the "terrorist act" in an expansive term and considers terrorism as "any act that harms national unity and social peace."
Under this premise, the groups said, participating in a protest or writing an article may be considered a "terrorist act" if the authorities find that it harms its national security.
The rights groups went on to reiterate that they reject "violent extremism."
"But we fear that the state’s strategy for countering violent extremism is only exacerbating it and relies on blocking legitimate outlets for the expression of opinion," the joint statement said.
Against constitution
The state-run human rights council, for its part, said that it was not consulted about the draft law, in violation of the constitution.
"[The government] has not sought the council's opinion about the proposed law in violation of the constitution and the council's bylaws, which necessitate taking the council's opinion on any laws related to human rights," the council said in a statement.
The watchdog said that the terms of the law published by the local media "violate many articles of the constitution."
On Sunday, Egypt’s journalists syndicate criticized the proposed anti-terrorism legislation, warning that the draft law contradicted the country’s constitution and would violate press freedoms.
Egypt has remained in the throes of turmoil since the military ousted Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president, in a 2013 coup following protests against his administration.
