The cabinet has announced the amendment of the law regulating the
lists of terrorist entities, to include granting the public prosecution the
authority to freeze the assets, funds and property of people and groups
listed on terror lists.
One of the key changes is the removal of the caveat “whenever used to
practice terror activities” in defining which assets can be frozen. The
new definition says assets can be frozen “regardless of the means used
to acquire” them, granting prosecutors the authority to target almost
any part of an individual’s wealth.
The amendment also included a redefinition of “funds” in the law, to
include all financial assets, economic resources, and property of any
kind, whether material or moral, movable or fixed, whatever means it
was obtained by. This means giving the public prosecutor the power to
confiscate money whenever its owner is considered a terrorist.
A source in the court of cassation said that the amendments add
nothing, as all funds and properties of individuals on terror lists are
routinely being seized anyway and the amendment just legalises these
practices.
Many human rights organisations have criticised this law, which
contradicts the principles of the constitution and international
covenants.
This law permits anyone to be included on the terrorism list and for his
property to be confiscated without proving that this person has
committed a crime.
The public prosecutor has included 1,500 people on terrorist lists in the
past months, among them the famous football star, Mohamed
Aboutrika.