Administrative Court Refers Protest Law Appeal To Constitutional Court

After accepting an appeal against the protest law, a Cairo administrative court referred the case on Tuesday to the Supreme Constitutional Court, judicial sources have said.

Two rights groups filed a case against the law, saying it deprived citizens of their constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Rights lawyer Khaled Ali filed a legal challenge against the protest law’s articles 8 and 10.

The law, passed in November 2013, has been used to quash protests by supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and secular opposition groups.

Local and international rights groups have condemned the law, which prohibits unauthorised demonstrations and specifies lengthy jail terms and heavy fines for violators.

A number of activists who played a prominent role in the January 2011 uprising are currently on trial or serving prison sentences for violating the protest law.

Before his inauguration, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had stated that he would not repeal the law.

The controversial law was issued during the interim one-year term of former president Adly Mansour, who has now returned to his original post as head of the constitutional court.

Source : Ahram online