Egypt cabinet passes anti-terror law, requests faster trials

Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's government adopted a controversial anti-terror law and requested a faster court appeals process on Wednesday, after the president pledged tougher laws following the assassination of the top prosecutor.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who vowed to adopt tougher measures following the killing of state prosecutor Hisham Barakat on Monday, is expected to swiftly ratify the law.

In July 2013, then army chief Sisi deposed his Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi and has overseen a brutal crackdown against his supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands jailed.

Jihadist groups, mainly the local affiliate of the Islamic State group in Sinai, on the other hand have killed scores of security personnel since Morsi's overthrow, saying their attacks are in retaliation for the bloody crackdown targeting Morsi's supporters.

Wednesday's draft law will provide "means to drain the sources of terrorism financing," a cabinet statement said.

Minister of Transitional Justice Ibrahim Henaidy told state-run Al-Ahram newspaper that the new law will "stipulate harsher punishment" to those convicted of "belonging to a terrorist group...committing terrorist acts or had used violence".

The proposed law will also widen the powers of "investigators of terrorist crimes," grant new authorities to the prosecution, and "facilitate procedures to inspect and examine bank accounts," of suspects, Henaidy said.