Egypt ends state of emergency upon court ruling

[DJKeefy]

Egypt's administrative court ordered on Tuesday that the state of emergency be lifted at 4 pm this afternoon, and not on Thursday as was previously announced by the cabinet.

The court also rejected a lawsuit filed by lawyer Ahmed El-Seif El-Islam, who challenged the validity of the decision to extend the state of emergency in September.

Cabinet spokesman Sherif Shawky said the state of emergency has been officially lifted in accordance with the court's ruling, Egypt state TV reported.

However, military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali said on Tuesday that the Egyptian army will continue to enforce the nightly curfew until it receives an official notification that a court has ordered an end to the country's three-month-old state of emergency.

The state of emergency was originally imposed by presidential decree on 14 August, following the bloody dispersal of two protest camps in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. In mid-September, the state of emergency was extended for another two months, which were slated to end on Thursday 14 November.


On Monday, Egypt's tourism minister announced that the state of emergency had been lifted in the Sinai touristic city of Sharm El-Sheikh and in the Red Sea governorate.

It remains unclear whether or not the curfew – implemented in tandem with the state of emergency in August – will be lifted. However, a government source told Ahram Online that the curfew will most likely end as well.

Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa stated earlier in November that the curfew would end on 14 November.

The curfew currently extends from 1am to 5am, except for Fridays, the traditional day of protest, when it begins at 7pm.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/86287.aspx

[BENNU]

However, military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali said on Tuesday that the Egyptian army will continue to enforce the nightly curfew until it receives an official notification that a court has ordered an end to the country's three-month-old state of emergency.

It remains unclear whether or not the curfew – implemented in tandem with the state of emergency in August – will be lifted. However, a government source told Ahram Online that the curfew will most likely end as well.

Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa stated earlier in November that the curfew would end on 14 November.

The curfew currently extends from 1am to 5am, except for Fridays, the traditional day of protest, when it begins at 7pm.

As far as anyone around me here in Cairo is concerned, there is no longer a curfew, so they must all be wrong.

From the hotel where I always stay, I am looking down at a very busy corner of Cairo right now, and it has been weird to stand at the open window after 1AM and experience complete silence in what used to be the city that never sleeps.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@ Bennu - you are IN Cairo at 1am and there is not a non-stop blare of horns, voices, screeching tires and non-stop noise? That would be almost surreal. Noise = Cairo.

[BENNU]

@ Bennu - you are IN Cairo at 1am and there is not a non-stop blare of horns, voices, screeching tires and non-stop noise? That would be almost surreal. Noise = Cairo.

It was probably something I dreamed. Now I can constantly see 10-15 cars and hear a horn every 30 seconds. 1:09 AM and I am back in Cairo.

It is relatively calm, though - I guess it means that there is a curfew, but not everyone knows.

[Bombay]

There will be no curfew Wednesday night: Egyptian PM

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/86422.aspx

[BENNU]

Something tells me that Bombay is right, I had forgotten just how noisy Cairo normally is at night.