State of Emergency (Egypt) 2013

State of Emergency (Egypt) 2013
Name	2013 Egyptian state of emergency
Date	14 August 2013 – 14 November 2013 (formal amendment until 2014)
Location	Cairo, Alexandria, Raba'a al-Adawiya, Nahda Square
Cause	Dispersal of sit-ins, Rabaa massacre, security operations against Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt), aftermath of 2013 Egyptian coup d'état
Organizers	Interim Egyptian government (2013), Adly Mansour, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Participants	Central Security Forces (Egypt), Egyptian Armed Forces, Ministry of Interior (Egypt)
Outcome	Large-scale arrests, restrictions on protest, international criticism, alteration of protest law

State of Emergency (Egypt) 2013

The 2013 Egyptian state of emergency followed the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état that removed Mohamed Morsi and installed Adly Mansour as interim head, and occurred amid clashes at Raba'a al-Adawiya, Nahda Square, and nationwide demonstrations involving supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt) and opponents such as Tamarod. The declaration empowered security forces including the Egyptian Armed Forces and the Central Security Forces (Egypt) to conduct operations directed by the Ministry of Interior (Egypt) and the interim cabinet under Hazem el-Beblawi. It shaped the immediate post-coup environment and influenced subsequent policies under figures like Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and institutions such as the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the High State Security Court (Egypt).

Background

In June and July 2013, mass demonstrations and a political crisis involving Mohamed Morsi, the Freedom and Justice Party, and opposition coalitions including National Salvation Front (Egypt) and Tamarod culminated in the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi while regional actors such as Gulf Cooperation Council states and international bodies including the United States Department of State and the European Union monitored developments. Prior incidents such as the 2011 Egyptian revolution and episodes involving the Central Security Forces (Egypt), clashes at Abbassia, and legal disputes in the Supreme Constitutional Court (Egypt) contextualized heightened tensions that preceded the dispersals at Raba'a al-Adawiya and Nahda Square.

Declaration and Legal Framework

On 14 August 2013, interim authorities issued a formal state of emergency and a nighttime curfew in response to violence linked to the dispersals of Raba'a al-Adawiya and al-Nahda, invoking provisions associated with laws governing emergency measures used since the era of Hosni Mubarak and referencing institutions such as the Egyptian Parliament (People's Assembly) pre-2011 and the Egyptian constitution of 2012. The legal instruments allowed security entities including the Ministry of Interior (Egypt), the Public Prosecution (Egypt), and military tribunals like courts used in prior crises to detain suspects, restrict gatherings, and implement search and seizure procedures observed in precedents involving Emergency Law 162/1958 and practices under the State of Emergency (Egypt) 1981. Executive acts by figures such as Adly Mansour and orders aligned with the Egyptian legal system framed the decree and its later amendments.

Implementation and Security Measures

Security implementation mobilized the Egyptian Armed Forces, the Central Security Forces (Egypt), and units under the Ministry of Interior (Egypt) to enforce curfews, clear protest camps at Raba'a al-Adawiya and Nahda Square, and conduct raids in governorates such as Giza Governorate, Dakahlia Governorate, and Alexandria Governorate. Measures included mass arrests processed through the Public Prosecution (Egypt), restrictions on media outlets like Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr by entities such as the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (Egypt), and use of emergency procedures in places including the Cairo International Airport vicinity and the Maspero area. Security operations invoked tactics and command structures linked to commanders associated with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and officials from the interim cabinet such as Hazem el-Beblawi and Hisham Barakat in prosecutorial roles.

Human Rights and Civil Liberties Impact

Human rights organizations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented casualty figures, allegations of excessive use of force at Raba'a al-Adawiya often termed the Rabaa massacre, and reported restrictions on journalists from outlets such as BBC News, Reuters, and Associated Press. The emergency measures affected legal protections overseen by the Egyptian Bar Association, constrained activities by civil society groups like April 6 Youth Movement and Islamic Relief (Egypt), and prompted scrutiny from international legal bodies including the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council. Reports cited detentions in facilities linked to the Interior Ministry and trials in military and special courts that human rights advocates compared to practices under Emergency Law 162/1958.

Domestic and International Reactions

Domestically, political actors including the Freedom and Justice Party, Al-Nour Party, National Salvation Front (Egypt), and activists within Tamarod reacted with denunciations, protests, or support; religious institutions such as the Al-Azhar University and the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria issued statements. International responses varied: governments like the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, and members of the European Union issued condemnations, calls for restraint, or adjustments to diplomatic relations, while regional powers including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar signaled support or concern through statements and aid decisions. Multilateral bodies such as the United Nations Security Council and the African Union debated measures and monitoring missions in response to reports from observers including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Lifting, Aftermath, and Legacy

The formal emergency status was incrementally modified and local curfews lifted in late 2013 and 2014 amid continuing emergency-like statutes and revised protest laws enacted by the interim and subsequent Presidency of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, influencing the treatment of groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt) and shaping prosecutions through the Public Prosecution (Egypt) and special courts. The events affected Egypt’s relations with actors like the United States Department of State, European Union External Action Service, and regional partners while prompting debates in academic centers such as American University in Cairo and think tanks analyzing transitions since the Egyptian revolution (2011). Long-term legacy discussions involve legal precedents traced to Emergency Law 162/1958, institutional reforms concerning the Ministry of Interior (Egypt) and the Egyptian Armed Forces, and collective memory shaped by incidents at Raba'a al-Adawiya and Nahda Square that continue to influence politics, human rights discourse, and regional diplomacy.

Category:2013 in EgyptCategory:Political history of Egypt