Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Saturday the renewal of the state of emergency for a new three month period starting from October 26, 2019, until January 26, 2020. 

Al-Sisi evoked the emergency law from the year 1958, on October 25, 2014, to implement a state of emergency in North Sinai, and it has persisted there since then until now. 

Later, al-Sisi announced the state of emergency all over the country on April 9, 2017, after the bombing of St. George’s church in Tanta and St. Mark’s church in Alexandria and went on to renew it every three months.

Under the state of emergency cases of gathering, demonstrating, assaulting places of worship, arms and terrorism are referred to the State Security Emergency Court. The State Security Emergency Court is a court that is formed only during the state of emergency, according to the emergency law of the year 1958, and its decisions are unappealable.

Furthermore, the decisions of this court are referred to “the military ruler of the country,” which means Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signs them and is the only authority who can appeal against this court’s decisions. 

It is noteworthy that the endless state of emergency was a main incentive for the January 25 revolution against Hosni Mubarak.