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Military trials in Egypt undermine civil law

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a new law, whereby the perpetrators of assaults against public and government facilities shall be referred to military courts.
Members of special police forces stand guard as police investigate the car from which an explosive device attached to it detonated outside a court in the Heliopolis area in Cairo, June 25, 2014. One person was wounded from the small explosion outside the court on Wednesday, the head of Cairo's bomb disposal unit told Reuters. At least four people were wounded in a series of small explosions in metro stations in Greater Cairo earlier in the day. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RT
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CAIRO — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi enacted a law on Oct. 27 to enhance sanctions against those who vandalize public and government facilities. The law states that the police shall protect public facilities and refer assaulting parties to the military public prosecution as a preliminary step for their referral before the military courts. This law will go into effect for two years.

In the last two months, Egypt has witnessed repeated assaults on public facilities, including a roadside bomb incident near the Foreign Ministry, an explosion in downtown Cairo a few meters away from metro stations, and an explosion in the vicinity of Cairo University. However, the law was issued immediately after the Sheikh Zuweid bombing, which killed dozens of members of the armed forces on Oct. 24.

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