Presidential directives to amend criminal justice laws took center stage on last night’s talk shows, after President Abdel Fattah El Sisi called on the government yesterday to implement recommendations issued by the National Dialogue to reform pretrial detention and criminal justice legislation, according to an Ittihadiya statement. The presidential directives came just two days after the recommendations were made.

The rationale: The president said his acceptance of the recommendations stems from “a sincere desire to implement the provisions of the Egyptian constitution and national human rights strategy.” He stressed the importance of reducing the maximum duration of pretrial detention, with the focus on using it as a preventive measure when necessary rather than as a punishment. El Sisi also expounded on the need to implement alternatives to pretrial detention, alongside compensation for the wrongfully detained.

The move was praised on the airwaves: “What happened today is an achievement. The president's responsiveness confirms that there is a strong political will to move forward with human rights issues in the country,” Gamal El Keshky, a member of the National Dialogue’s board of trustees said in a phone call with Salet El Tahrir’s Faten Abdel Maaboud (watch, runtime: 4:59). Ala Mas’ouleety’s Ahmed Moussa also lauded the decision, saying that “President Sisi stands with freedoms” (watch, runtime: 7:27). Both hosts commended the speed with which the directives were issued.

Background: The National Dialogue on Monday submitted 24 recommendations to the president — 20 of which were unanimously agreed upon by its board of trustees — after discussing them last month, according to a statement. The discussions included topics such as the duration of pretrial detention, alternatives to it, measures accompanying it, cases of multiple and concurrent crimes, and compensation for wrongful detention, the statement said.

Tags: