Egypt's el-Sissi ends state of emergency 4 years after terror attack

World Tuesday 26/October/2021 09:04 AM
By: DW
Egypt's el-Sissi ends state of emergency 4 years after terror attack
The state of emergency was renewed this April in light of "serious health and security conditions"

Cairo: Egypt will lift a nationwide state of emergency that has been in place for more than four years, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced in a Facebook post on Monday.

"Egypt has become, thanks to its great people and its loyal men, an oasis of security and stability in the region," el-Sissi said.

"This is why I decided to cancel the renewal of the state of emergency throughout the country," he added. 

The state of emergency was imposed by el-Sissi in April 2017 after two deadly bombings at Coptic churches killed dozens of people. The attacks were claimed by an affiliate group of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS).

The emergency measures were imposed for three months after the bombings, but were renewed ever since, most recently last April.

At the time of bombings, Egypt was battling a growing wave of violence linked to IS militants, especially in the northeastern Sinai region.

The measures gave authorities sweeping powers. They also curtailed constitutional rights of freedom of speech and public gathering.

Human rights groups have slammed the government for crushing dissent under the guise of strict measures.

In May 2020, the emergency law was amended to counter the coronavirus outbreak. It gave the president further powers and expanded the jurisdiction of military courts over civilians.