CAIRO
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday issued a counter-terrorism law designating 24 acts the carrying out of which would automatically mean that the perpetrator belonged to a "terrorist entity."
In the absence of a parliament, Egypt's constitution grants the president the right to introduce laws by decree.
Published in Egypt's Official Gazette on Tuesday, the law calls for groups to be automatically designated "terrorist entities" if any of their members "incite the disruption of the general order, threaten social stability, harm or terrorize individuals, or infringe on their rights and freedoms."
Other acts specified by the law include "damaging the environment, antiquities, buildings, public facilities, or public funds," among others.
Designating an entity as "terrorist" would lead to the closure of its meeting places and the banning of its meetings, according to the law.
The law also prohibits financing such entities or raising money for them, while calling for the seizure of their property and assets.
According to the law, prosecution authorities will draw up a list of "terrorist entities" including entities whose acts have been described as "terrorist acts" in earlier judicial rulings or those designated "terrorist groups" at the request of the prosecution authorities.
In late 2013, the Egyptian authorities designated the Muslim Brotherhood a "terrorist" organization, blaming it – with scant evidence – for a spate of deadly attacks on security personnel.
For the last year and a half, Egypt has been hard hit by attacks on security forces, both in the Sinai Peninsula and in other parts of the country.
