House approves amendments to laws regulating prison releases, antiquity theft and armed forces pensions

The House of Representatives approved amendments to prison and anti-drug laws that prohibit conditional prison releases for those convicted of terrorism, money laundering or drug trafficking charges, Al Shorouk reports, among other decrees in a plenary session on Monday. It approved amendments to the Antiquities Protection Law, including penalizing anyone illegally acquiring or trading in Egyptian artefacts with a EGP 1 mn fine and prison sentence. The House also approved amendments to the Retirement, Insurance and Pensions Law for the armed forces, setting 15% as annual rate for deductibles. House Speaker Ali Abdel Aal also submitted amendments to the law governing the Police Academy to a joint defense, national security and constitutional committee, Al Shorouk reports, without elaborating.