• EGYPT
  • April 11, 2012
  • 2 minutes read

People’s Assembly Approves Bill to Criminalize All Forms of Torture & Stiffen Punishments

People’s Assembly Approves Bill to Criminalize All Forms of Torture & Stiffen Punishments

The Committee on Constitutional and Legislative Affairs at the Egyptian parliament’s lower chamber continued to champion freedom and human dignity causes. At the People’s Assembly, the Committee – during a session chaired by its Deputy Sobhi Saleh, on Monday – approved in principle a draft law to amend the Penal Code and procedures for crimes of torture.


Submitted by the Human Rights Committee, the bill aims also to stiffen punishments and give the victim or civil plaintiff the right to direct proceedings before the Criminal Court.


Further, MP Subhi Saleh said that the amendment provides for the criminalization of all forms of torture. It no longer limits punishment to coercion (into false confessions) – as is the case in the current law. The Committee also discussed the need to set up an integrated system of legislation to deter torture and facilitate the process to prove its cases.


MP Amr Hamzawy said the purpose of the draft law is to provide stricter punishment for torture and to enable torture victims to take direct legal action.