Parliament Approves Freedom and Justice Party Anti-Torture Bill

Egyptian parliamentary committee gives final approval for legislation, proposed by the FJP’s Gamal Heshmat to toughen sentences in all torture-crime cases.

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Dr. Mohamed Gamal Heshmat is the deputy of the Foreign Relations Committee at the People's Assembly and a member of the FJP’s National Committee. Commenting on his proposed amendments, Dr. Heshmat said that the existing legislation and the actions taken with regard to protecting citizens against torture crimes are inadequate and fail to provide actual protection to victims of torture and other acts of cruel or degrading treatment.

Dr. Heshmat further explained that, in spite of the significant protection that the Penal Code conferred on the right to physical security in general through criminalization of beating and wounding, and through tightening of penalties for these crimes, no such protection is conferred regarding crimes of assault and violation of physical security by public officials, particularly police officers, who are most likely to commit torture crimes given the powers they are usually granted.