Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, leader of the Strong Egypt Party, tweeted on Thursday evening that granting arrest powers to campus guards is a disgrace to universities, students and the community as a whole. “A university is knowledge, freedom and movement of generations,” he wrote.
The Cabinet had said on Wednesday that the Supreme Council of Universities did not file such a request. The Supreme Council of Universities is independent from the government and has the sole right to request arrest powers for campus guards.
Education Minister Hossam Eissa also said in a news conference that he has no right to grant such power. He added that the government of the Muslim Brotherhood had made the request and that the minister of higher education at the time formed a committee to discuss campus security.
“The current justice minister did not grant such power to anyone,” he said.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
