Friday, July 31, 2015

26 workers dead, 20+ others injured in factory fire

Mada Masr

Factory that went up in flames was unlicensed due to poor safety measures

Thursday - July 30, 2015


Recent investigations revealed that the Qalyubiya Civil Protection Department had refused to grant a license to an Obour City furniture factory that went up in flames on Tuesday, due to a lack of appropriate safety measures.

A fire broke out on Tuesday at the three-storey factory, ElHelow Style Office Furniture, which had reportedly been unlicensed since 2011. The blaze killed 26 people and injured more than 20 others.

Privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper reported that the factory of around 150 workers didn’t have any safety exits, which further delayed the rescue process. Most of the factories in this area lack the necessary industrial safety requirements, according to Al-Shorouk.

Citing a security source, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the fire erupted due the explosion of gas cylinders that were being transported across floors by workers.

The collapse of the staircase inside the factory was one of the main reasons behind the high death toll, the privately owned Al-Wafd newspaper reported, adding that most fatalities happened among workers on the second and third floors.

Qalyubiya Governor Mohamed Abdel Zaher said the families of the deceased would receive compensation from the government, in addition to the promised compensation from the factory owner and the Urban Communities Authority.

A committee of technical experts is due to visit neighboring buildings and factories to check for further damages from the fire.

Health Ministry official Mohamed Lasheen stated on Thursday that 20 of the injured have now been discharged from hospital, having mostly suffered from superficial burns or suffocation.

Industrial safety expert Fatma Ramadan told Mada Masr that safety requirements are tailored toward specific facilities and their work, and usually include precautions for fires as well as chemical, electricity and radiation hazards.

Each industrial facility should abide by the safety measures set by the government departments for civil protection, mechanical engineering and occupational health and safety.

Every industrial facility should have at least two safety exits that lead to the outside the premises, Ramadan explained, as “if the first exit is blocked because of a fire or the destruction of parts of the building, the second is then hopefully available.”

The prosecutor general ordered that the owner and the manager of the factory be detained on Wednesday for four days, pending investigations, according to Reuters-affiliated Aswat Masreya.

*Photo of Obour factory fire courtesy of EPA

Judge resigns amid 'sex bribes' scandal

An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed 
Sex scandal controversy embroils Egyptian judiciary - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
Sex Scandal Controversy Embroils Egyptian Judiciary


Sex scandal controversy embroils Egyptian judiciary - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
A sex scandal involving an Egyptian judge has exposed corruption within Egypt's controversial judicial system

July 30, 2015

  
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal act, it can be dismissed in return for the judge's resignation.

Abdel Hady first denied the allegations and refused to resign. However, he was forced to resign on Tuesday after Judge Mahmoud Kamel el-Rashidi - who was behind the acquittal of ousted President Hosni Mubarak in what was often referred to as the 'Trial of the Century' - banned him from entering the court.

Abdel Hady came to be known for ruling in a number of high profile political cases.

Last month, he ruled in favour of TV presenter Ahmed Moussa, who is considered by many to be a government propagandist. Moussa had allegedly defamed Osama al-Ghazali Harb, head of the Democratic Front party, accusing him while on air of "working against the state."

In another case, Abdel Hady sentenced five girls - who were accused of violating the anti-protest law - to five years in prison and a 100,000 Egyptian Pounds ($US 12,767) fine each.

The case is only a few days old, but it has already sparked controversy all over local and social media, renewing the debate on the corruption of Egypt's judiciary.

"There are serious questions on the independence and partiality of the Egyptian judiciary", Nicholas Piachaud, a London-based Egypt researcher at Amnesty International, told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
"The Egyptian judiciary has become a weapon in the crackdown on dissent", he added.

"Egypt's judges are not taking on the security forces, who have near total impunity for their human rights violations. Instead, they hand down heavily politicised verdicts against opposition members, journalists, and protesters."

Earlier this year, mass death sentences were passed against hundreds of alleged Muslim Brotherhood supporters, and were condemned by multiple rights groups.

In contrast, charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of protesters during the 2011 revolution were dropped last year.
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf
An Egyptian judge was forced to resign from his position as head of a Cairo court after being accused of demanding a sexual bribe from a woman in return for ruling in her favour, sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed.

Judge Ramy Abdel Hady was confronted by the Administrative Control authority and the public prosecution after the woman involved gave them recorded phone conversations where Abdel Hady asked her for sexual favours in return for ruling in her favour.

The authorities then opened an investigation before Egypt's public prosecution issued a gag order in the case, banning local media from publishing any related details until further notice.

On social media, Egyptians defied the gag order by circulating information about the case and making sarcastic remarks about it.

Sources told al-Araby al-Jadeed that there is an unspoken agreement between the Justice Ministry, currently headed by Ahmed el-Zend, and different judiciary bodies that if any judge is involved in a criminal case, it can be closed in return for the judge's resignation. - See more at: http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/7/30/sex-scandal-controversy-embroils-egyptian-judiciary#sthash.y5Xvw1HE.dpuf

Egypt: Court forces 4 more workers into retirement for striking

Police jail (yet another) journalist, accuse him of belonging to outlawed group

Committee to Protect Journalists
Egypt arrests press advocate, accuses him of belonging to banned group

July 24, 2015

Egyptian authorities on Tuesday arrested the head of a journalists syndicate and accused him of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest and calls on the Egyptian government to release Aboubakr Khallaf immediately.

Khallaf is the founder and head of the independent Electronic Media Syndicate (EMS), which trains and supports journalists who work online in Egypt. The syndicate operates independently from the state-recognized Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.

Khallaf was arrested and accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Egypt, according to the news website Dot Msr. The local press freedom group Journalists Against Torture and the local Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) said Khallaf was also accused of "taking pictures and displaying artistic works without a license," among other allegations.

A 1998 executive order states that individuals conducting audio and audiovisual work must have a license from the Ministry of Culture. According to AFTE, the accusation is in connection with Khallaf photographing the funeral of Hisham Barakat, Egypt's prosecutor general who was assassinated late last month.

On Wednesday, a Cairo prosecutor extended Khallaf's detention for four days, the sources said. He has not been formally charged.

Khallaf was arrested after a news article was published on Friday by the government-owned daily Akhbar Elyoum, which accused Khallaf and his syndicate, along with other media outlets, including the news website Masr Al-Arabiya, of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and receiving money from the group.

On Saturday, Khallaf denied the accusations on his personal Facebook page. On July 21, Masr Al-Arabiya wrote an open letter to the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, saying it was a victim of a smear campaign and that the staff demanded a right of reply.

Egyptian authorities were holding at least 18 journalists in jail on June 1, according to a census conducted by CPJ. Most of the journalists were accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood.

"We see a pattern of reports by government-aligned media accusing journalists and news outlets of working for the Muslim Brotherhood, followed by the arrests of those journalists. Authorities have already used this charge to put a record number of journalists in jail," said Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "Egyptian authorities should release Aboubakr Khallaf immediately and stop this harassment of critical media groups."

Last week, authorities arrested Yahya Khalaf, the director of Yaqeen news network, and raided the outlet's offices after the government-aligned Egyptian news website Al-Watan reported that the network had employed members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Khalaf remains in custody.

On July 16, the Egyptian Ministry of Interior released a statement on its Facebook page saying the raid on Yaqeen's offices was part of a crackdown on the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. On Monday, the network announced on its Facebook page that it was shutting down.

Also on Tuesday, a Cairo court extended the pre-trial detention of freelance photographer Mahmoud Abou Zeid, also known as "Shawkan," to August 3, according to news reports. Zeid has been imprisoned since August 2013 and has been accused of weapons possession, illegal assembly, murder, and attempted murder. He has not been formally charged, according to the Freedom for Shawkan campaign.

385 labor protests reported during second quarter of 2015

Mada Masr

Slight decrease in number of labor protests in 2nd quarter of 2015

Wednesday - July 22, 2015

The second quarter of 2015 has witnessed a nationwide total of 385 labor protests, according to figures compiled by the independent Mahrousa Center for Socioeconomic Development on Wednesday. This is a slight decrease in the occurrence of industrial actions, with a total of 393 labor protests reported in the first quarter of this year.

In comparison to Mahrousa’s figures from the year 2014, the first quarter (January-March) of last year witnessed 1,420 labor protests, while the second quarter (April-June) of that same year had witnessed a mere 231.

While greater than the total number of labor protests during the second quarter of 2014, the 385 industrial actions reported during the second quarter of 2015 include strikes, sit-in protests, marches, workplace occupations, work slowdowns, boss-nappings, and hunger strikes, among other forms of protest.

Contributing to the decline in the number of Egyptian labor protests (from the first quarter of 2015) are police crackdowns, lawsuits and other punitive measures against strike-leaders, together with legislation criminalizing the right to protest/strike or to freely organize trade unions, and a new judicial decree pushing striking public sector employees into forced retirement (issued by the Supreme Administrative Court on April 28.)

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Manpower, the signing of decrees to abstain from strikes – by representatives of both the state-controlled unions and independent labor federations – may also have contributed to the decline in work-stoppages and other industrial actions.

Mahrousa’s findings indicate that the driving forces behind many of these labor protests are demands for improved wages, overdue payments and bonuses, lack of promotions or pay raises, hazardous working conditions and poor safety standards, punitive sackings and mass lay-offs, forced relocations, pay-cuts, and demotions, among other grievances.

According to Mahrousa’s figures, most of these 385 labor protests took place among factory employees and manual workers – 136 in specific.

The second sector most affected by labor protests – with 68 protests – is reported to be the public sector, civil service and governmental institutions.

Disgruntled medical professionals and hospital staffs came in third place with 30 protests.

With 20 protests, Egypt’s educational sector, including employees of both public and private universities, represented the fourth sector most affected by industrial actions.

The fifth sector reported to be most affected by industrial actions is that of journalism and mass media, with a total of 19 protests.

Other sectors that have witnessed significant incidents of labor unrest during the second quarter of 2015 include those of agriculture, transportation, informal and seasonally employed workers, as well as imams and mosque employees.

On 1st day of Eid, police kill 6 protesters & injure several others

Mada Masr
Eyewitness accounts emerge from bloody Eid protests in Giza

July 17, 2015


Clashes between police and protesters left at least six dead and three injured in Giza on Friday morning, according to Health Ministry officials.

The violence reportedly broke out after supporters of former President Mohamed Morsi led a number of small marches after the Eid morning prayers.

On Thursday evening, a message allegedly sent by Morsi from prison was published on the Muslim Brotherhood's official website. The statement called on Morsi's supporters to continue the revolution, saying, "My unshakable confidence in victory knows no bounds. Your revolution will be studied by all peoples, so persist to victory, for in it lies the salvation of this homeland."

Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar told Mada Masr the clashes occurred in the Talbiya district, near the Giza pyramids. Ghaffar said the casualties were sent to hospitals in Konaisa, but did not provide further details.

The privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported that four of the deaths occurred in the Talbiya district, while one person was killed in Nahiya and another person in Kerdasa.

The state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram quoted security sources as saying that nearly 300 Muslim Brotherhood supporters gathered in protest in Talbiya on Friday morning. Sources claimed that the protesters fired live ammunition and fireworks at local residents, then opened fire on security forces when they arrived, provoking a gun battle.

Fifteen people were arrested in the incident, according to Al-Ahram.

But the Muslim Brotherhood disputes these claims that demonstrators initiated the violence, writing, “Fascist sec forces attack citizens, including women & children, after Eid prayers killing 6, injuring several,” on its ikhwanweb twitter account.

Ahram also reports that 15 Muslim Brotherhood members were arrested.

Eyewitnesses to another bloody Friday protest in the Giza town of Nahiya have posted photos and testimonies to social media sites supporting the narrative that at least in Nahiya, the police initiated the violence as they dispersed a peaceful demonstration.

According to the Facebook page of photojournalist Ahmed Gamal Ziada, a protest rally demanding the release of political prisoners began after the conclusion of Eid prayers.

Ziada posted a photo of what looks like a non-violent street rally with individuals carrying banners picturing protesters said to be killed by security forces, along with photos of other protesters they described as languishing in prisons.

Under the hashtag “Bloody Eid,” Ziada also posted a photo of a wounded protester he identified Hossam al-Aqabawi, whom the photojournalist claims was shot in the head with a lead bullet.

Another photojournalist, Belal Wagdy, posted photos of a blood-soaked protester being carried away after allegedly being shot by live ammunition. Wagdy updated the post to add that the protester later died of his injuries.

Wagdy claimed that police first opened fire on the protesters with lead bullets, then began shooting birdshot and teargas canisters. Men and women were among the wounded, many suffering from birdshot injuries, he said.

Beyond the figures supplied by the Ministry of Interior and Heath Ministry, who currently state that one person died in Nahiya, there is no definitive tally of the number of dead and injured protesters across Giza on Friday.

Security officials also report that at least one homemade bomb went off outside Cinema Rabudis in Giza on Friday morning, while another was defused, according to local media. No injuries have been reported.

The Protest Law effectively bans non-officially sanctined demonstrations, and grants security forces wide leeway in their methods of dispersing protestors. Although large demonstrations have been rare since the passage of the law in November 2013, Morsi’s supporters and other activists have continued to hold small marches in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities. These demonstrations have frequently been met with deadly force.


*Photo courtesy of Belal Wagdy

 

With Washington’s Complicity, Egypt Cracks Down on Critics

New York Times

With Washington’s Complicity, Egypt Cracks Down on Critics

Editorial Board

July 16, 2015 


For decades, Egypt’s authoritarian leaders used the Emergency Law to oppress and intimidate government critics under the guise of national security. In coming weeks, officials are expected to pass a new, similarly repressive law that would give authorities even more sweeping powers to continue cracking down on government critics and censor the press.

Passing the so-called counter-terrorism law, which has been in the works for several months, has become a priority for the government after recent high-profile attacks by militants in Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula.

While Egyptians are understandably unnerved by the growing violence, the new power sought by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi should be subject to greater scrutiny. Egypt is already a police state. 

Recent drafts of the counter-terrorism law and other steps the government has taken stand to make it even more repressive. That should be of deep concern to Egyptians and the country’s allies, including the United States, because such tactics will likely embolden extremist groups if disaffected Egyptians are allowed no avenues to express their grievances.

Under the bill, people could become the subject of terrorism investigations if the government merely asserts that they “disturb public order and social peace,” harm “national unity” and hurt the country’s economy. And the bill would establish special courts for terrorism suspects that would deliver swift verdicts and expands the list of offenses that would be punishable by death.

Such tribunals would only worsen a pattern of hasty trials for Islamists, many of whom have been sentenced to death in mass proceedings. Former President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a 2013 coup, is among those who has been sentenced to death on dubious evidence.

Egypt is currently detaining at least 18 journalists for reporting information government officials deemed inaccurate, according to Amnesty International. The new law would create even greater press restrictions. For instance, journalists would be allowed only to report statistics and details about terrorist attacks from official sources.

In recent weeks, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry has begun issuing new guidelines to muffle even international journalists. Officials recently handed out a list of terms reporters should not use in describing terrorist organizations, including Islamists, fundamentalists, jihadists and the Islamic State. Instead, journalists are to describe them as “savages, slayers, destroyers and eradicators.”

Disappointingly, but not surprisingly, American officials have not publicly expressed concern about the counter-terrorism law. The State Department, in a statement to The Times, would only say the United States supports Egypt’s “fight against terrorism, but we hope that the final version of this law will support the protection of individual rights for Egyptians.”

That’s laughable. Obama administration officials and congressional lawmakers have been all too willing to overlook the abuses because they see Egypt as an indispensable ally in a volatile region. In recent weeks, House and Senate members passed versions of the foreign aid bill that fail to make the annual $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt contingent on it taking steps to protect human rights and govern democratically.

In past years, Congress sought to discourage growing authoritarianism by requiring the State Department to certify that Egypt was meeting those criteria. Now, it is merely asking that Cairo adhere to the 1979 peace treaty with Israel and remain an American ally. By giving up on worthwhile goals, lawmakers have become complicit in Egypt’s repression.

*Photo courtesy of AP and NYT