Egypt anticipates government’s decision to extend emergency law

Egypt‘s government is expected to give a statement in Parliament later today regarding the extension of the country’s controversial emergency law. The country has imposed the law since Mubarak’s coming into power in 1981. International human rights organizations have slammed the law stressing it violates human rights and freedom of speech.

The law gives police wide powers of arrest making the opposition vulnerable to the regimes animosity.  Under the new provisions, police would only be allowed to use the law, in cases connected to terrorism contrary to current measures where the regime employs its security apparatus in continued raids against those who question corruption, in particular the popular Muslim Brotherhood bloc. The government hides behind the emergency law in order to monopolize political life and to exclude the opposition,” Saad el-Katatny, a Muslim Brotherhood parliamentarian said in a press statement during a protest which has taken place by all opposition political powers who are awaiting the decision.

 Human rights groups say the government has used the law to suppress dissent.