The Cabinet has denied granting arrest powers to security employees at Egyptian universities, arguing that the Ministry of Justice had not made any decrees granting judicial arrest powers to universities.
Reports about campus security being given arrest powers sparked an uproar among students who were wary of a return to Mubarak-era crackdowns on students' activism.
The Cabinet stressed that the Ministry of Higher Education had not made any request to that end and added that the Supreme Council of Universities is the sole entity that can make such a request.
Higher Education Minister Hossam Eissa said in a press conference at the Cabinet headquarters on Wednesday that he is "not authorized to grant arrest powers to anybody" and that "the former Muslim Brotherhood-controlled government made a request for that."
Eissa added that "the Higher Education Minister had formed a panel to discuss the issue of university security. The matter was then referred to the Justice Minister who has not given those powers to anyone".
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
