Egypt: Amend Draft Demonstrations Law

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/25/egypt-amend-draft-demonstrations-law

Egypt: Amend Draft Demonstrations Law

This article describes a draft law that has gone through the cabinet and been submitted to the Shura council. What this draft would do is effectively limit Egyptians rights in terms of peaceful protest and demonstration. There are several articles in this draft that are especially worrisome that give the police the ability to use excessive force, digression of when to use it, and etc..


"The law also fails to place clear limitations on how the police use force in dispersing protests, in terms of methods used and conditions of escalation, Human Rights Watch said.  Instead of creating a clear obligation on the police in line with international standards to use force only if non-violent means are ineffective and to "exercise restraint in such use and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence,”article 15 merely suggests that the police “should to the extent possible” take measures starting with warnings and then progressing to water canon or tear gas. Article 16 further states that the police may use additional force as stipulated in the penal code and police law, which give the police excessive discretion in the use of live ammunition to disperse protests, Human Rights Watch said. "

This bill would make it almost impossible for citizens to have their voices heard. Hopefully they can slow things down until the election of the house of representatives.