President Sisi defends Egypt's sweeping security laws

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has defended Egypt's sweeping security laws, insisting he is still taking the country on a path to democracy, BBC News reports.

Ahead of a visit to the UK, Sisi told the BBC that Egypt was threatened by extremist groups and feared the collapses suffered by its neighbours. He underlined that Egypt's situation was different to that of Europe.

"What has been achieved in our experience may not be the best, but we are going ahead with it and we will make further progress," Sisi said.

He noted that the low turnout in the first round of the parliamentary elections last month was neither unexpected nor evidence of growing disillusionment with his rule.

He also defended the anti-terrorism legislation he enacted in August, which activists said further eroded basic rights and enshrined a permanent state of emergency.

The retired field marshal led the army's overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013 following mass protests.

Since then, hundreds of people have been killed and more than 40,000 are believed to have been jailed in a crackdown on dissent.

Most of them have been supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, but secular and liberal activists have also been prosecuted for breaking a 2013 anti-protest law that gives the interior ministry the power to ban any gathering of more than 10 people.