The parliament approved on Tuesday the extension of the state of emergency in North Sinai. The curfew hours were first imposed in 2014 and have been renewed every three months since then as a counterterrorism measure.
According to state-owned media, the members of parliament representing Sinai stood against the extension decision. The National Security Committee in the parliament earlier released a report highlighting the dangers posed by a state of emergency, which include the illegal detention of North Sinai citizens and the mistreatment of them based on the emergency law.
However, parliament speaker Ali Abdel Aal assured the members that he will make sure that all the recommendations in the report will be implemented.
The parliament decision came following the release of a presidential order earlier last week renewing the state of emergency for three more months. Some residents previously told Daily News Egypt that these measures are ineffective in fighting terrorism. They also mentioned that their businesses are negatively affected by the curfew and that militancy has increased during curfew hours, threatening their lives.
The decision was first imposed in October 2014 as unrest escalated in North Sinai following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi. The clashes between the Armed Forces and Islamic State-affiliated factions have increased.
