Rights advocates push to overhaul capital punishment in delayed law
The “Stop the Death Penalty in Egypt” campaign urged authorities Saturday to make effective use of the one-year postponement of the new Criminal Procedure Law to strengthen its procedural guarantees, particularly regarding capital punishment, warning that the delay must not become a “silent wait.”
Hours before its scheduled entry into force on Oct. 1, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi enacted a law postponing implementation until Oct. 1, 2027. The extension followed an emergency session where the House of Representatives approved the delay to give implementing authorities adequate time to ensure operational readiness.
In a legal study released to mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty, the anti-death penalty campaign, which is organized by the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), called for using the extension to open a public debate and conduct an urgent legislative review of provisions affecting the right to life.
The study evaluated capital punishment safeguards through a comparative legal analysis of the new Criminal Procedure Law against current regulations, tracking every stage of criminal proceedings from evidence collection and investigation through appeals and execution.
According to an ECRF statement, the study identified legislative shortcomings that require statutory amendments to make procedural protections clear and mandatory before the law takes effect.
Detailing these flaws, the campaign cited pre-trial issues, including expanded police powers, provisions allowing public officers to be delegated investigative tasks, and a lack of safeguards during home searches conducted in a defendant’s absence.
The study also warned against expanding remote investigations and trials. It stressed that video links cannot ensure an effective defense unless paired with a defendant’s right to confidential attorney communication and full access to evidence, alongside mandatory session adjournments during technical disruptions that impede meaningful participation.
In addition, the report criticized Article 22 of the new law, which allows defendants in violent crimes, such as premeditated murder, to settle with a victim’s heirs to reduce their sentences. Warning that reconciliation risks turning judicial leniency into a financial privilege out of reach for poorer defendants, the report called for strict procedures to verify settlements, guaranteed representation for minors and absent parties, and safeguards to ensure sentence reductions are not conditioned solely on compensation.
Regarding trial proceedings, the study noted that while the new legislation retains existing capital punishment safeguards, such as requiring judicial unanimity and consulting the Grand Mufti, it fails to mandate reasonable deadlines for religious opinions or require sentencing delays when opinions are overdue.
To uphold human dignity, the study urged mandatory provisions ensuring defense counsel and families receive advance notice of execution dates, granting final visits and consultations with religious representatives, and making the return of bodies to families a strict legal obligation rather than an administrative discretion.
The campaign emphasized that while strengthening procedural safeguards is vital, it cannot reverse judicial errors after an execution. It renewed its appeal to parliament to enact an immediate moratorium on capital sentences and executions, replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without conditional pardon for the most serious crimes, and guarantee the rights of victims’ families to effective justice and redress.
According to Amnesty International’s annual report on death sentences and executions published in May 2026, Egypt executed 23 people last year, up from 13 in 2024, according to the report. One woman was among those executed. In 2025, 492 people, including women, were sentenced to death, a 35% increase from 365 in 2024. At least 12 death sentences were imposed for drug-related offenses, accounting for 2% of Egypt’s recorded total.