Egypt
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- presidential republic
- CONSTITUTION
- there have been various constitutions; the latest was approved by the constitutional committee in December 2013 and by the people in the referendum of January 14-15, 2014, then ratified by the interim President on January 19, 2014
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on English, Islamic, and Napoleonic systems
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral system of the House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nowaab); 596 seats; 448 members directly elected by a majority mechanism, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians, and workers - elected from lists, and 28 members appointed by the President; the legislature lasts 5 years
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) is composed of the president and 10 judges, serving as the final instance on issues of constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC), composed of the President and 550 judges organized into circuits, is the highest level of appeal for civil and criminal proceedings, referred to as "ordinary"; the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) - is composed of the President and organized into circuits
- DEATH SENTENCES
- 16 confirmed by the Court of Cassation and 4 by the Supreme Military Court
RELIGIONS
90% Muslims; 9% Copts, 1% Christians
From the country
JUNE 18, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: FORMER PRESIDENT MORSI DIES AFTER FALLING ILL IN COURT
Egypt's first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist who was ousted after one year of divisive rule, died after falling ill during a court hearing on 17 June 2019, the attorney general said. He was 67.
- JUNE 14, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
83 EGYPTIANS COULD BE EXECUTED AT ANY TIME
The sentence of Ahmed Saddouma, who was 17 when he was arrested and accused of terror offences and the attempted murder of a federal judge, on 8 June 2019 was reduced from the death sentence to 15 years in prison.
JUNE 11, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT OF CASSATION COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY, UPHOLDS JAIL TERMS IN 2013 STORMING OF KERDASA POLICE STATION
Egypt’s Court of Cassation on 10 June 2019 commuted a death sentence against a defendant convicted in the case of the storming of the Kerdasa police station in Giza in July 2013, and has upheld life imprisonment terms against three other men in the same c
JUNE 10, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT OF CASSATION UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN OVER TERROR INVOLVEMENT
Egypt's Court of Cassation upheld on 8 June 2019 a death sentence previously issued by a criminal court against a man over an assassination attempt of a judge and involvement in a terror cell, state-run Al-Ahram news website reported.
MAY 23, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 6 DEFENDANTS OF ‘KERDASA RISISTENCE COMMITTEES’ SENTENCED TO DEATH
Cairo Criminal Court on 22 May 2019 sentenced seven defendants in the case of popular resistance committees of Kerdasa to capital punishment.
MAY 13, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER CHURCH ATTACK
An Egyptian court on 12 May 2019 sentenced two men to death and eight others to between three years and life in prison over an attack on a church and Christian-owned shop in Cairo that killed 10 people.
- MAY 7, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR 13 ON TERROR CHARGES
Egypt's highest appeals court on 7 May 2019 upheld death sentences for 13 people convicted of terror charges over attacks in the capital in which explosive devices killed at least two police officers.
APRIL 26, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 2 MONKS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ABBOT'S KILLING
An Egyptian court on 24 April 2019 sentenced two monks to death for killing an abbot in a desert monastery north of Cairo last year.
APRIL 18, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: TWO REFEREED TO MUFTI FOR DEATH PENALTY OVER HELWAN CHURCH ATTACK
The Cairo Criminal Court referred two defendants on 16 April 2019 to the Grand Mufti seeking his opinion on a preliminary death sentence for them over their alleged participation in the Helwan Church attack in December 2017.
APRIL 16, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: EGYPTIAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING ITALIAN CITIZEN IN MILAN
An Egyptian criminal court sentenced a defendant to death on 15 April 2019 for killing an Italian citizen in the city of Milano in 2013.
- APRIL 8, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
CLOSING OF THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ‘MODERNIZING PENAL LEGISLATION IN EGYPT’ BY AGREEING TO CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE AND ADOPT THE OUTPUTS
The National Seminar on "Modernization of Penal Legislation in Egypt", which started on 6 April, was held in Cairo this evening and discussed five issues related to modernizing the law system in Egypt.
APRIL 8, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT RECOMMENDS DEATH PENALTY FOR 7 OVER 2016 GIZA HOTEL ATTACK
Giza Criminal Court on 6 April 2019 recommended the death penalty for seven defendants accused of orchestrating a 2016 attack on a tourist bus and hotel near Egypt’s Giza Pyramids.