The United Nations Human Rights Office has criticized Egypt’s new Criminal Procedure Law, which is expected to be ratified by Egyptian President “Sisi” following its recent approval by the Egyptian Parliament.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, Thiam Hytan, addressed to the Egyptian authorities, he stated that the office has been closely monitoring the passage of the new Criminal Procedure Law in Egypt, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives and is currently awaiting the approval of the President.
Hytan expressed deep concern from the Human Rights Office regarding provisions in the law that grant public prosecutors broad discretionary powers related to pretrial detention, interception of communications, and travel bans.
He added that the law also includes other measures that negatively affect the right to effective legal representation, as well as accountability of public officials for their conduct, including law enforcement officers.
Hytan also pointed to reports indicating that last-minute amendments were introduced to the draft law before it was sent to the president for approval; however, these changes have not been made public, raising concerns about legislative transparency.
The spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, Thiam Hytan, called on Egyptian President “Sisi” to carefully reconsider the proposed Criminal Procedure Law in light of these concerns before granting any approval, in order to ensure full compliance with Egypt’s international human rights obligations.
