An activist has said he would file a lawsuit at the Administrative Court against the ruling military council for issuing a controversial supplement to the Constitutional Declaration that has governed the country since March 2011.
Emad Hegab, director of the human rights group One World Foundation and deputy managing editor of state-run newspaper Al-Ahram, said the supplement issued Sunday was declared without a public referendum and gave the ruling generals more powers than the next president.
Hebab’s petition demands a referendum on the supplement in respect for the will of the Egyptian people. Hegab said the measure was adopted in the absence of the recently dissolved People’s Assembly and away from political powers, which would render it unconstitutional and non-binding.
“The complementary declaration represents an encroachment on the powers of the elected president and put the full legislative powers in SCAF’s hands,” the petition said, adding that the supplement also grants the military rulers the right to veto the country’s anticipated constitution.
Hegab intends to file another lawsuit in the same court against Justice Minister Adel Abdel Hamid, demanding that he revoke his decision to grant military police and intelligence services the judicial right to apprehend non-military felons.
Hegab said the move is at odds with articles of the Constitutional Declaration and the Penal Code, which protect citizens’ freedoms and require a judicial warrant before making arrests.
The activist said he expected Abdel Hamid’s decision could be politically motivate, which would violate the principles of fair trial and citizens’ right to appear before a civil court.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
