Egypt’s National Council on Human Rights Rejects Military Tribunals for Civilians

Egypt’s National Council on Human Rights Rejects Military Tribunals for Civilians

The National Council for Human Rights declared its opposition to the referral of civilians to military courts asserting in its fourth annual report that despite the amendments to the military courts law allowing litigation before a second class court, there is a constitutional and political incompatibility with the amendments, and called for the halting of the military tribunals regardless of the reasons.


Dr. Ahmad Kamal Abu-Almajd, deputy chairperson of the National Council for Human Rights, indicated that the council will go on calling the government to change this law.
 
 In a press conference held Sunday to declare the fourth annual report, he said that political reform in Egypt is very slow, especially that it lagged for many times. He referred to the phenomenon of torture in police stations, and asserted that the council will present a bill for the government to harsh the punishment of torture because Egypt is internationally committed to watch the imprisoned and detained person”s rights through dozens of international charters. He called for reconsidering the Supreme Council of Journalism in order not to restrict the freedom of press.


Regarding the emergency condition, Dr. Abu-Almajd said: “for the fourth successive year, we insist on halting the emergency law” and called for not turning the emergency condition from an interim law into a permanent law under the law of “Combating Terrorism”. He also called for a clear definition of terror in order not to be used according to personal tendencies.


He criticized the current law of political parties asserting the necessity of amendment; in order to have strong real opposition by considering the parties as part of the regime. Within the system of pluralism of parties, the president should not be the head of the ruling party, because this is similar to the system of the socialist union.


Class and ideological discontent in the Egyptian society has worsened as a result of deteriorating conditions of living.