Egypt: Acts of terrorism to be military jurisdiction

The Egyptian government will make changes to its military penal code so that acts of “terrorism” will fall under the military court’s jurisdiction. The decision was made one day after an attack on a military post in Sinai, which left 30 dead and 31 others injured.

In a press statement issued yesterday, the government said the Egyptian cabinet agreed to appoint Ibrahim Mahlab as the president of the committee that is in charge of “drafting a proposal that would revise the military code of justice, one that would act as a legal reference for matters of terrorism and threats to national security”.

According to an Anadolu Agency news correspondent, the press statement said that the intended amendments would include “attacks on facilities or personnel within the armed forces and the police as well as damages to public property and roads”.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi currently holds the power of the legislative branch due to the dissolution of parliament in mid-2012.

The statement also clarified that the Egyptian government plans to draw up a road plan that would lead to elections for the House of Representatives and plans to hold an Egyptian Economic Forum by February.

A judicial source, that spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The proposed amendments will not apply to the military court’s outstanding issues such as President Morsi’s trial as well as the trials of members for the Muslim Brotherhood. The amendments will not be applied retroactively.”

The source went on to confirm that the amendments will clearly define what crimes are considered to be “acts of terrorism” and they will be clearly outlined by Article 204 of the Egyptian Military Justice Law.