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Egyptian court rules army cannot arrest civilians

RT | June 26, 2012

An Egyptian court has overturned a government decree allowing the army to arrest civilians.

­The decree was originally issued by the army-backed interim government on June 13, before the presidential election earlier this month. It was challenged by human rights activists and politicians who accused the military council of reviving an unpopular emergency law that lapsed in May.

It gave the military police and intelligence the power to detain civilians and refer them to a military tribunal.

“The court has blocked the decision of the Minister of Justice that gave military and military intelligence officers powers of arrest,” said Cairo administrative court Judge Ali Fikry.

According to the Al Ahram newspaper website, the list of crimes to which the law could be applied include crimes and misdemeanours harmful to the government, possession and or use of explosives, resisting orders issued by those in power or assaulting them, destruction of public property or historic monuments, obstructing traffic, strike-actions at institutions that serve the public interest or assaulting the right to work, and intimidation and thuggery.

Former presidential candidate Khaled Ali, along with 17 activists, who initially filed an appeal against the law has confirmed to the newspaper that the court had ruled in his favor.

June 26, 2012 - Posted by | Civil Liberties | ,

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