The

People’s Assembly’s approval of the two-year extension of the 25-

year-old emergency law has provoked a

furious reaction among Egyptian opposition, including the legally banned

Muslim Brotherhood. Many people

argue that the extension of the law will breed more violence in Egyptian society.

In its 2004 report on

“Egypt’s torture epidemic,” Human Rights Watch said, “While torture in Egypt has typically

been used against

political dissidents, in recent years it has become epidemic, affecting large numbers of ordinary

citizens

who find themselves in police custody as suspects or in connection with criminal investigations.”