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
APRIL 3, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: POLICEMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING CHRISTIAN FATHER AND SON
An Egyptian policeman found guilty of killing a Christian man and his son in a case that outraged the minority Coptic community was sentenced to death on 2 April 2019, judicial sources said.
- MARCH 21, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: DEATH SENTENCE FOR ‘MURDERER’ FATHER IN MANSOURA REFERRED TO MUFTI
A criminal court in Dakahlia's Mansoura ordered on 18 March 2019 referring Mahmoud Nazmi, over filicide, to Egypt's Grand Mufti, and said it would issue its verdict on April 17.
MARCH 11, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 56 SENTENCED TO DEATH IN JANUARY 2019, ACCORDING TO EIPR
According to a monthly survey conducted by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), 56 defendants were handed death sentences in January of this year
- MARCH 8, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF UKRAINIAN WOMAN IN HURGHADA
A criminal court in Egypt's Red Sea governorate sentenced to death on 7 March 2019 a man convicted of killing a Ukrainian woman in the Red Sea resort of town Hurghada in March 2018.
MARCH 5, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT SENTENCES DEFENDANT IN 'OCTOBER TERRORIST CELL' TO DEATH
The Cairo Criminal Court on 3 March 2019 sentenced one man to death and four others to life imprisonment in the case known as “the October Terrorist cell” case.
- MARCH 3, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: COURT SENTENCES MAN TO DEATH FOR KILLING WIFE AND 3 SONS
Kafr al-Sheikh Criminal Court on 2 March 2019 sentenced a man who murdered his wife and three sons to the death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 25, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: TWO MONKS SENTENCED TO DEATH
An Egyptian court on 23 February 2019 handed down a preliminary death sentence against two monks for murdering a clergyman, according to Egypt's official MENA news agency.
FEBRUARY 25, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: FORMER VICE-PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Former Egyptian Vice-President Mohamed ElBaradei on 21 February 2019 decried Egypt’s frequent resort to capital punishment and called for the abolition of the practice.
FEBRUARY 21, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: 15 EXECUTIONS IN FEBRUARY
15 people have so far been executed in Egypt in February alone (7th, 13th & 20th), all were condemned among many others (present & absent) for terrorism crimes.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR EGYPT TO END DEATH PENALTY
In a statement released on 11 February 2019, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, the Committee for Justice, and the Arab Foundation for Civil and Political Rights called for an end to the death penalty in Egypt pending “a broad societal dialogue.”
FEBRUARY 20, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: NINE MEN EXECUTED OVER PROSECUTOR'S DEATH
Egyptian authorities executed nine young men on 20 February 2019 morning despite calls by rights groups to halt the executions over due process violations, a source close to their families told Middle East Eye.
- FEBRUARY 15, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTY
TURKEY DEPORTS 28-YEAR-OLD EGYPTIAN WHO FACES DEATH PENALTY AT HOME
Turkey is investigating the deportation of an Egyptian citizen to Cairo after he reportedly sought asylum upon his arrival to Istanbul’s Ataturk airport last month, officials told Middle East Eye on 5 February 2019