Egyptian court suspends military arrest powers

An Egyptian court has suspended a government decision allowing military police to arrest civilians, judicial sources say.

The administrative court took the decision after reviewing an appeal filed by rights groups against the controversial decree passed on 13 June. The Cairo court has also delayed its rulings in two controversial cases, media reports say. One concerns the dissolution of parliament. The other involves the constitutionality of the new constituent assembly. The decree caused an uproar among activists and politicians, sparking fears that an attempt was being made to reintroduce unpopular emergency laws. The army’s right to arrest civilians ended on 31 May when decades-old emergency laws were lifted. The government can appeal against the court’s decision.