Judicial department for terrorism lawsuits to be formed under Sherin Fahmy

CAIRO - 17 July 2019: Head of the Cairo Appeal Court Chancellor Badry Abdel Fattah decided to form an independent criminal administration assigned to deal with administrative and technical issues related to the terrorism cases only.

According to the decision of Abel Fattah, who is also a member of the Supreme Judicial Council, renowned Judge Mohamed Sherin Fahmy will fully supervise the work of the committee in coordination with the head of the Appeal Court.

The decision grants Fahmy all the powers of the head of the Appeal Court, including determining the date of sessions and trials, including the sessions to renew detention of the defendants, as well as the sessions to restart the procedures of the trials in absentia.

Many terrorist attacks were carried out against Egyptian policemen and army personnel as well as civilians since the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Terrorists attacked a security checkpoint in southern Arish city in Sinai on June 5 this year, leaving a police officer and six conscripts dead. Five terrorists were killed in a shootout with security forces at the checkpoint, a statement by the Interior Ministry said.

War 'not over'

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has announced war against terrorism even before he assumed post as president in 2014, said in May that the "war against terrorism did not and will not end before we retaliate for every martyr who died for the sake of their homeland."

The terrorist attacks Egypt has witnessed within the past six years, mainly by the Islamic State-affiliated Sinai Province militant group, have led to the death of hundreds of policemen, army troops and civilians during attacks on security checkpoints, churches and also a mosque.

In February 2018, under the title "Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018", Egypt's Armed Forces launched a comprehensive military operation targeting the hotbeds of terrorists especially in Northern and Central Sinai. Despite announcing the death of dozens of terrorists from time to time since then, the army has not yet announced the end of the battle.

Egypt has also added hundreds of persons as well as entities on its terrorism list during the recent years including the Muslim Brotherhood group and ousted president Mohamed Morsi, who died in June this year.