Egypt’s House of Representatives has approved a Presidential Decree extending the state of emergency for another three months. It is the 13th extension to the state of emergency which was originally declared on 10 April 2017. It means the Egyptian armed forces and police can take any steps necessary to tackle terrorism and its financing, uphold security throughout the country and protect public and private properties. The relevant Decision has been published in the Official Gazette. It also allows the President to restrict freedom of assembly, movement and residency in the country. Powers of law enforcement are also significantly extended and citizens can be arrested or detained for extended periods of time if they are considered a national security threat. In addition, censorship is allowed under a state of emergency and the Government can shut down media outlets for security reasons. Full story
