A New Law Draft for the Prevention of Torture

A New Law Draft for the Prevention of Torture

This draft has been prepared by a committee of two judges, a university professor, three lawyers, and activists in the field of Human Rights field. It has been discussed in a workshop in March 2015 and it was attended by more than 50 parliamentary candidates and legal experts.

The draft law comprises 17 articles; the first of which were assigned to set a specific and comprehensive definition for the crime of torture based on the provisions of the Egyptian Court of Cassation as well as the definition mentioned in the fighting torture agreement. The second article of the law were assigned to amending articles No. 280, 129, 128, 126 from the Penal Code; these are the penal provisions related to the crime of torture and the related crimes. Pertaining to its Article No. 4, the Law added a new article for the Penal code No. 126/1 which states that the person in charge of the places of detention where the crime of torture is committed should be punished by imprisonment and removal from office, for he has violated his duties in oversight and supervision. Article No.5 of the Law obliges the State to provide physical and psychological treatment of the victims of the crimes of torture, coercion, or cruelty, in addition to rehabilitating them physically and psychologically, besides defining a minimal compensation in such crimes.