Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has approved a decision to provide authorisation for protests via the ministry's official website. Monday's decision, which will be implemented 'soon', was designed to speed up the procedure, according to Al-Ahram Arabic news website. Under the protest law people who want to organise a public meeting, march or protest must notify in writing the police station whose jurisdiction includes the public meeting's location or the starting point of a march or protest. The law, issued by the interim government on 24 November, also states that organisers of a demonstration will be exposed to jail sentences and hefty fines if a protest takes place without prior police consent. On 22 December, a court sentenced three leading activists – Ahmed Maher, Mohamed Adel and Ahmed Douma – to three years in jail and a LE50,000 fine on charges including organising illegal protests. Last Thursday, a group of Alexandria-based activists were sentenced to two years in jail and a LE50,000 fine for organising an unauthorised protest during the Khaled Said retrial. The protest law, which has been widely condemned by rights group, has sparked fears among non-Islamist political activists of a potential crackdown on them by security forces. Since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members have been arrested. Source : Ahram
