Parliament may review draft laws of police conduct this week

Egypt’s parliament could review the interior ministry’s draft laws regulating police treatment of citizens this week, Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghafar told state news agency MENA.

The laws, according to Abdel-Ghafar, stipulate that police respect the freedom and dignity of citizens inside and outside police stations.

The legislation also ensures protection of police personnel “from the violations of some citizens against them,” so that they can carry out their duty to uphold peace and security.

Abdel-Ghafar added that the laws would ensure prompt action in the face of any police violations and provide incentives to policemen who excel in their work.

The minister stated that the interior ministry, which was tasked with redrafting these laws by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, has already drafted them and sent them to the cabinet.

Abdel-Ghafar added that the cabinet was done reviewing the laws, and has sent it to the state council’s legislative committee.

The committee will further review the laws before returning them to the cabinet, which will schedule a date this week for the parliament to review the legislation.

President al-Sisi ordered the drafting of these laws after a policeman shot dead a taxi driver in the working-district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar in late February in a street brawl over the taxi fare.

The policeman is currently on trial.

The interior minister added that the team tasked with investigating the death of Italian student Giulio Regeni, discovered dead in Cairo in February, was working closely with the Italian team.

A number of joint meetings have been held with the Italian team, according to the minister, and the Egyptian team “has conveyed its findings so far to the Italians and answered all of their questions.”

source: Ahram Online