Egypt’s President Sisi ratifies extending state of emergency for 3 months

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued a decree ratifying the extension of a nationwide state of emergency for three months starting 27 July.

The decree was published in the official gazette on Wednesday.

According to the decree, the extension allows the Egyptian Armed Forces and police to take [measures] necessary to confront the dangers and the funding of terrorism and to safeguard security in all parts of the country.

The decree comes days after parliament approved on Monday the extension of the state of emergency for three more months starting 27 July.

The state of emergency, which has been in effect since 2017, has been extended on the grounds of fighting terrorism, implementing development programs in a stable climate, and containing the coronavirus crisis.

According to the bylaws of the Egyptian House of Representatives, two-thirds of parliament must approve imposing or extending a state of emergency within seven days of the decree.

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said on Monday more than two-thirds of the majority of MPs approved the new extension.

The state of emergency was first declared in April 2017 after two church bombings that killed dozens of people. It has since been consistently renewed at three-month intervals in accordance with the Egyptian constitution.