Egypt’s Sisi ratifies emergency law amendments sparking rights concerns

CAIRO: President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified a host of amendments to Egypt’s emergency law which an international rights groups says expands “repressive powers” as the country’s battles the coronavirus. Egypt has been under a state of emergency since April 2017 when twin church bombings claimed by an Islamic State group affiliate killed dozens of people. The amendments , published Thursday in the official gazette after their approval by parliament, give Sisi and security agencies “additional sweeping powers”, according to Human Rights Watch. They allow the president to close schools, suspend public sector work, ban public and private gatherings and quarantine inbound travellers.