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
MAY 3, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: PRISON AUTHORITIES EXECUTE SIX PRISONERS
Egyptian prison authorities executed six prisoners, in relation to two separate cases.
MAY 3, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: CAIRO COURT EXONERATES MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN POST-MORSI VIOLENCE CASE
A Cairo criminal court has exonerated a man who had been previously sentenced to death on charges of involvement in deadly clashes in Giza's Omraniya district following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
- APRIL 2, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: PRELIMINARY DEATH SENTENCE ISSUED AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM PREACHER WAGDY GHONIM
A Cairo criminal court issued a preliminary death sentence against controversial Muslim preacher Wagdy Ghonim and two other men after they were convicted of inciting to murder security forces and Christians, Ahram Arabic website reported.
MARCH 24, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: HOSNI MUBARAK FREED, SIX YEARS AFTER OVERTHROW
Six years after baying crowds ousted him at the peak of the Arab Spring, former President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt was freed on March 24 from the Cairo hospital where he had been detained, capping a long and largely fruitless effort to hold him accountable
- MARCH 9, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MAN WHO KILLED COPTIC SHOPKEEPER
A court in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria sentenced a man to death after he stabbed a Coptic liquor store owner to death.
- FEBRUARY 26, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT PARLIAMENT REJECTS ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
The human rights committee of Egypt's parliament said it will never recommend that the death penalty be
FEBRUARY 20, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: CASSATION COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCES FOR 10 OVER FOOTBALL RIOT
The Egyptian Cassation Court upheld the death sentences to 10 people convicted for rioting that killed 74 fans and injured over 500 at a football match in 2012.
- FEBRUARY 7, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR U.S. EMBASSY CLASHES
An Egyptian court slapped two people with death sentences for involvement in "acts of violence" that took
- FEBRUARY 1, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: GIZA CRIMINAL COURT HANDS DEATH PENALTY TO 2 MEMBERS OF AL-WARRAQ TERRORIST CELL
The Giza Criminal Court sentenced two defendants from the Al-Warraq terrorist cell to death. Two other
- JANUARY 19, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT: 35 SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MEMBERSHIP
A military court in Cairo sentenced 35 Egyptians to death by hanging and 54 to life in prison on charges of
- JANUARY 1, 2017EgyptDEATH PENALTY
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
DECEMBER 15, 2016EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: PROMINENT ISLAMIST MILITANT HABARA EXECUTED AMID THREATS OF RETALIATION
Egypt executed prominent Islamist fighter Adel Habara, state media said, days after a top court rejected his final appeal and in defiance of militant threats to ignite "a volcano of jihad" across the country.