Army revokes state of emergency after 31 years, but Egypt still in chaos
Cairo (AsiaNews) - The Military Supreme Council has withdrawn the state of emergency that came into force in 1981 after the assassination of President Anwar al-Sadat. Yesterday in a statement, the army assured that will uphold its responsibility to defend the population until the power is transferred into the hands of a civil administration. The revocation of the law was one of the key demands of the youth of Tahrir Square, but AsiaNews sources say that the military's decision is premature. "The army - they say - was wrong to revoke the state of emergency and the reasons that led to this decision at this precise moment in history are unclear. The country is still in chaos and in danger of falling into the hands of the Islamists, who already feel above the law and have sparked a new revolution. "
With the end of emergency rule, the military has secured the release of 500 detainees arrested following the rule of law that has now been repealed. For 31 years, it has allowed the army and police to detain suspects without trial and to conduct trials before special courts. In three decades, over 10 thousand people were detained without trial. Many of them are still in prison or have disappeared.
"The return to civil laws is positive - stress sources - but only in theory." The head to head for the post of president between Mohamed Mursy (Muslim Brotherhood) and Shafiq Ahmed (former Prime Minister under Mubarak) scares the Coptic minority, which has to support a former member of the regime to prevent the country from falling into hands of Islamic extremists. They continue to carry out attacks against Christians and go unpunished (see AsiaNews, 22/05/2012, Islamo-Christian violence in Minya: life imprisonment for 12 Copts, eight Muslims acquitted).
"The Christians - sources conclude - are afraid of the rise of the Islamists. Every day, dozens of families flee Egypt. They were harassed during the state of emergency, but with its end who will provide enough security for minorities to survive , especially in areas where Salafis are raging? ".
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