Sectarian-related crimes to be addressed in State Security Emergency Courts Decision by cabinet took place as country renewed state of emergency for another three months
Prime Minster Mostafa Madbouly ordered on Tuesday that all cases and crimes related to thuggery, terrorism, endangering the lives of others and places of worship should be looked into by the State Security Emergency Courts. The decree took effect from Tuesday until the end of the state of emergency which was extended for another three months earlier this week. The decree also is applied on whoever violates Law 107 which regulates public gatherings and protests. The decision was published in the Official Gazette on Tuesday. In another context, Madbouly decided on Tuesday to extend the curfew imposed on North Sinai for another three months. The authorities imposed a limited state of emergency in selected areas of North Sinai as part of heightened counterinsurgency measures. These came in the wake of the 24 October 2014 militant attacks, which left at least 30 security personnel dead. The attacks were later claimed by the Sinai Province militant group. Also earlier this week, Egypt extended a nationwide state of emergency for three months for the seventh time since it was imposed in April 2017, following two church bombings on Palm Sunday which resulted in killing at least 45 people and over 100 injuries. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi issued a presidential decree to extend the state of emergency. "The Egyptian armed forces and security forces are to take necessary measures to confront the dangers and terrorism funding, maintain security across the country, and protect private and public installations as well as citizens' lives," the decree read. Other security measures aimed to combat militants include the establishment of a 5km buffer zone along the Rafah-Gaza border. There are also moves to destroy all tunnels used for smuggling weapons and infiltrating militants in and out of the restive Sinai Peninsula. On 31 December 2018, Al-Sisi issued a decree to establish a higher committee with the purpose of confronting sectarian conflicts. The committee is scheduled to develop a general strategy to prevent and confront sectarian incidents, and follow-up on its implementation. Furthermore, the committee will be headed by the president's advisor for security and counterterrorism affairs, and will include members of the armed forces, the General Intelligence Directorate, the Administrative Control Authority, as well as the Supreme State Security.
