The Journalists Syndicate’s freedoms committee held a symposium on Monday to mark the one year anniversary of the protest law.
Attendees talked about the necessity of amending the law saying it offended Egypt and its people. Some accused the regime of being an agent to the US.
Mohamed Abdel Qoddous, member of the syndicate board, described the law as ‘notorious’.
“There is semi-consensus on the necessity of amending the law to ease tensions,” said. "Thousands of innocent youth are in jail over accusations related to this law."
Political activist Ahmed Harara said, “We are all in prison. The detainees are free.”
He added that the revolution's detained youth paid the price for their freedom, accusing President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of carrying out the agenda of the US. “Until when will this policy benefit the regime? I want to tell the regime to fight the Islamic State as it now reached Egypt and Libya,” he said.
Amr Emam, a lawyer at the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, said that the activist Mohamed Sultan, currently detained, is the most detainee who is suffering medical negligence in prison, saying, “Sultan decided to defend his freedom by his body.”
Hundreds of liberal activists, who oppose a military-led government and others affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, have been detained for breaking the law, which requires prior authorization from the Interior Ministry before staging a protest. The law imposes fines as well as prison sentences on whoever breaks it.
The law, issued under rule of Interim President Adly Mansour, was heavily criticized by human rights groups and the international community, including the UN, the US and several European countries.
The Egyptian government, however, rejected the criticism considering it as "clear intervention" in its internal affairs.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
