Eight political parties,12 members of the former "Committee of 50", which drafted the constitution and 360 public figures have announced submitting a petition early next week to the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court, in order to reform the controversial protest law, which they describe as "constitutionally defective."
The signatories held a press conference at the headquarters of Egypt Freedom Party on Tuesday, under the slogan "Bring our children back from prison cells," calling on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to fulfill his promises and release the youth detained under the protest law. The speakers said the law had caused an unprecedented amount of detentions among young people, even compared to the Mubarak era.،
In a campaign launched on the Internet, the parties state that the law has caused a state of political and social tension, as well as the detention of hundreds of peaceful protesters.
Khaled Dawoud, deputy head of the Dostor Party, said the political parties had been seeking to amend the law in accordance with the recommendations of the National Council for Human Rights, pointing out that most of those who demand the amendment had participated in the January 25 and June 30 revolutions.
The detention of activists in the Mubarak era did not take this long, compared to the current situation, when it could last even as much as one year, under the unconstitutional law, said Dawoud.
A member of the unofficial Bread and Freedom Party, Elham Eid said the different civilian forces and human rights organizations insist on amending the law.
Abdel Aziz al-Husseiny, Secretary of Karama Party, said that the current government policies towards peaceful demonstrations in reality foster violence and terrorism.
The signatories of the petition include: Socialist People's Alliance Party, Dostor, Adl, Karama, Egyptian Democratic, and Egypt Freedom parties, the Popular Current, and the Bread and Freedom Party. Hamdeen Sabbahi, Amr Hamzawy, Hala Shokralla, Mohamed Aboul Ghar are among the public figures who have signed the letter.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
