CAIRO — Many human rights and relief groups are taking aim at "reforms" the Egyptian parliament approved recently in a draft bill regarding civil society organizations (CSOs) — changes they say are as bad as existing restrictions. Activists are recommending that President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi send the draft back for further amendment.

Lawmakers approved the changes July 15. The president has 30 days from that date to review the draft. Unless he rejects it, the draft law will take effect.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity proposed the amendments to a 2017 law regulating CSOs. The 2017 law was controversial from the beginning, seen by many as a threat to the work of some 48,000 CSOs. Most notably, it imposed prison sentences ranging from one to five years for violations such as receiving foreign funding without permission.

Rights groups had sought changes to the law regulating CSOs, which also says an organization must submit to the Ministry of Social Solidarity a startup request, which could either be denied or approved. Critics say that law actually contradicts the constitution, which provides for the right to establish associations simply by notification.