Egypt retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes

Egypt retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes. State of emergency laws (imposed in 1981 after militant army officers assassinated President Anwar Sadat) allow the government to try a militant in a military court without the right of appeal.
All capital executions must first be approved by the Mufti, the country's highest religious authority. The final decision goes to the President of the Republic who, by law, has the power to grant a pardon or commute a sentence.