In the latest developments in global politics, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has defended Egypt’s sweeping security laws, insisting he is still taking the country on a path to democracy.
Ahead of a visit to the United Kingdom, Sisi told to the media in his statement that Egypt was threatened by extremist groups and feared the collapses suffered by its neighbours. He underlined that Egypt’s situation was different to that of Europe. The retired field marshal led the army’s overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests.
Since then, hundreds of people have been killed and more than 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a crackdown on dissent.
Most of them have been supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but secular and liberal activists have also been prosecuted for breaking a 2013 anti-protest law that gives the interior ministry the power to ban any gathering of more than 10 people.
“We want to carry out the will of the Egyptian people,” he stated. “They have been calling for change for four years. We want to honour their choice and will do our best to achieve a better democratic future for them. What has been achieved in our experience may not be the best, but we are going ahead with it and we will make further progress,” he further added.
Sisi also explained how the low turnout in the first round of the parliamentary elections last month was neither unexpected nor evidence of growing disillusionment with his rule.
He also defended the anti-terrorism legislation he enacted in August, which activists remarked further eroded basic rights and enshrined a permanent state of emergency.
