New law gives Egypt security officials sweeping powers

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has granted sweeping powers to authorities to crack down on individuals or groups deemed as threats to national security, in an anti-terrorism law announced Tuesday, February 24. The law allows authorities to ban activities and meetings of individuals as “terrorists.” The apparent target of the law are Islamist protestors who have frequently demonstrated on university campuses and blocked off roads. This is the latest in a series of steps by the military-backed government to stymie opposition movements, particularly those sympathetic to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization.

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