CAIRO — Egypt's caretaker military government announced Wednesday
that the emergency law that allows it to jail people without charges
and try civilians before military courts will not be lifted until
the middle of next year.
The announcement angered political activists and human rights
advocates, who warned that continuation of emergency rule ran
counter to the goals of the movement that toppled President Hosni
Mubarak in February and could threaten campaigning for parliamentary
elections, now expected to be held in November.
"Deciding not to lift the state of emergency is proof that there
is an ongoing war against the revolution and that the government
does not believe in the revolution," said Ahmed Maher, the head of
the April 6 Youth movement, which was at the forefront of the
anti-Mubarak demonstrations.
Shortly after it came to power, the Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces, which has ruled by decree since assuming power from Mubarak,
announced that it would lift emergency rule in September.
But on Wednesday, General Adel al Morsy, head of Egypt's military
justice department, said that the emergency law would remain in
effect until June 2012.
He declared that Egypt's military rulers would continue to
enforce the emergency law until then "to fight all forms of domestic
instability, terrorism, disturbing the national security and public
order or financing any of the aforementioned cases."
The government had expanded the scope of the law after a crowd of
thousands stormed the Israeli Embassy Sept. 9. At least three people
were killed and more than 1,000 injured in the melee that followed.
Among the offenses covered by the expansion were possession or
sale of weapons and ammunition, drug trafficking, obstructing
traffic, and "spreading or broadcasting any false news, information
or rumors."
Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf told local reporters that
"the emergency law will be used to protect the revolution and fight
anyone trying to harm it." His assertion failed to silence critics.
"Extending and widening the scope of the emergency law is a
contradiction" to the military council's declaration that it favored
constitutional government, said Egyptian opposition leader Ayman
Nour, the head of al Ghad (Tomorrow) party, who was sentenced to
five years in prison after he garnered 7 percent of the vote in a
2005 challenge to Mubarak's presidency.
"I am very concerned about the coming elections that will take
place under emergency law," Nour said. "It is very dangerous to have
this door wide open for violations and abuse in the name of
protecting the country."
Egypt's state of emergency was announced on Oct. 6, 1981, after
the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat brought Mubarak
to the presidency. Mubarak routinely extended the emergency decree
when it was due to expire throughout his presidency, most recently
signing a two-year extension in May 2010. It was that extension that
Gen. Morsy said would remain in effect until next year.
Maher, who was detained and jailed four times under the emergency
law during Mubarak's rule, said the extension criminalizes "public
gatherings and protests."
"The country does not need any emergency law or martial law,"
Maher said. "All we need is a police force that does its job
properly."
(Sabry is a McClatchy special correspondent.)