Egyptian opposition protests extension in emergency laws

The Muslim Brotherhood, in conjunction with opposition parties, launched a campaign objecting to the extension of the Egyptian Emergency Law, which has been currently in progress for a quarter century. It is mentioned that the last time of extending such a law was in 2003, and it was extended for three extra years to expire at the end of next month (May).

During a conference held in conjunction with a group of representatives of opposition parties, the general guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Muhammad Mahdy Akef, declared that the emergency law resulted in the rise of disorder in the country. Muhamad Akef was commenting on the confrontations that took place between Muslims and Christians over an attack on three churches that occurred last Friday in Alexandria which left one killed and more than 20 injured. Akef underlined that such terrible events happened due to the absence of liberty. Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood’s general guide was astonished by the detention ofstudents saying ‘No’ to the emergency law.

The police arrested last week about 100 students affiliated to Assuit University who belonged to the Islamic Current or the Muslim Brotherhood. They were detained after they had held demonstrations inside the university, claiming not to extend the Emergency Law. A spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood Essam Al Eriyan confirmed that the detainees or the students were released. He added that a decision was issued last Wednesday afternoon to free the last group of students, pointing out that 45 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were still confined in Turah prison south of Cairo.

On the other hand, a coordinator of the Kifaiya Movement George Isaac stated that the emergency law did not help avoid terrorist attacks, warning of replacing the emergency law with a permanent anti-terror one. Meanwhile, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has promised in his last presidential election’s programmes cancellation of the emergency law, but he assured, in a declaration telecast via an Arab TV satellite channel Al Arabia, that the government will cancel the current emergency law in case they issue a new anti-terror law. President Mubarak declared that the new anti-terror law will take two years to be valid.

Meanwhile, around 114 members of the Egyptian People’s Assembly declared that they formed a new coalition named ‘Parliament’s Members Against Emergency Law’.  The Egyptian People’s Assembly will decide on extending the emergency law in the next few weeks.