As part of the government’s wider “Order and Cleanliness Campaign”, Cairo’s Governor Galal Saeed has announced that neighbourhood heads – appointed by governors – will be given a series of law enforcement powers to help “manage” their designated areas. The move means that heads of neighbourhoods will be able to stop, search, arrest and detain those suspected of committing a “violation,” thereby avoiding the process of going through police officers or law enforcement. However, should the suspect be in a private home, a warrant must be issued by law enforcement in order for them to be arrested. According to governorate officials speaking to local media, the move is an attempt to avoid bureaucracy, creating a more efficient process of dealing with the – as yet undefined – “violations.” However, for others, this is a subject of grave concern. Many see this reform as part of a worrying trend of the Egyptian state expanding arrest powers beyond traditional groups. Indeed, examples of other personnel who have previously been given similar arresting powers include university guards and select individuals from the Ministry of Endowments. The “Order and Cleanliness Campaign”, of which this…
Cairo’s “Cleanliness” Campaign Gives Neighbourhood Heads Unprecedented Authority
August 12, 2015
