The Egyptian parliament on Tuesday passed a bill imposing the death penalty on people found guilty of using explosive materials to carry out terror activities in the country.
The members of Parliament unanimously agreed that the law was necessary in the fight against terrorism and terror groups, which have dogged the North African country, particularly in the Sinai region.
The government-drafted amendments of Egypt’s penal code (law no.58/1937) were approved first by parliament’s Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee in a morning meeting.
Head of the committee, Bahaaeddin Abu Shoqa said the amendments to Article 102 of the penal code go in line with the state’s strategy to toughen penalties on terrorism-related crimes.
“The new amendments address a wave of new crimes; that is the use of explosive materials by terrorist groups to cause as much damage as possible,” Ahram Online quotes Abu Shoqa.
The move to impose the death penalty comes barely a month after the European Union urged Egypt to do away with the punishment.
“The European Parliament … calls for the end to all acts of violence, incitement and hate speech, reminding the Egyptian government that the universal protection of human rights and long-term prosperity go hand in hand,” the EU said in a statement.
Egypt has experienced a rise in executions since President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power in 2013, according to figures from Cornell University’s Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide.
At least 97 people have been executed in Egypt since 2014, compared with only five executions between 2010-2014, it said.
The new law also points out that persons with information regarding any terror plots but fail to report to the authorities will face a jail sentence.
