Group Blasts Mubarak's (Egypt) Anti-Terror Bill ("greatest erosion of rights in 26 years.")

[Omaha Steve]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070318/D8NU8LI00.html

Group Blasts Mubarak's Anti-Terror Bill

Mar 17, 8:40 PM (ET)

By MAGGIE MICHAEL

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Amnesty International on Saturday urged Egypt's parliament to reject new constitutional amendments put forward by President Hosni Mubarak, particularly an anti-terror provision that the group called the "greatest erosion of rights in 26 years."

Parliament is due to vote Sunday on the amendments, which Mubarak's government, a top U.S. ally in the Mideast, has billed as aimed at boosting democracy. Opposition parties have denounced them as an attempt to ensure Mubarak's hold on power.

The legislature, dominated by Mubarak's ruling party, is expected to pass the 34 amendments, which would then be put to a referendum, expected in April.

One of the amendments is meant to replace emergency laws in place since the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat, giving security forces sweeping powers to detain suspects and restrict public gatherings.

FULL story at link.

[razors edge]

1. They be getin'

westernized like US.

[Eugene]

2. BBC: Egypt mulls controversial changes

Last Updated: Sunday, 18 March 2007, 10:40 GMT

Egypt mulls controversial changes
By Heba Saleh
BBC News, Cairo

Egypt's parliament is debating controversial amendments to the
constitution which will pave the way for changes in the electoral
system.

-snip-

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak wants to change 34 articles
of the constitution.

These will ban the establishment of religious parties, allow the
adoption of a new election law and do away with the need for
judicial supervision of every ballot box.

-snip-

They say that watering down judicial supervision of elections
will make fraud easier.

They are also deeply uneasy about the wording of the articles
on the new anti-terrorism law because it will be possible to
bypass the constitutional guarantees protecting basic freedoms.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6463757.stm