The U.S. State Department has expressed concern over the «anti-terrorism» law passed by the Sisi junta. Spokesman John Kirby stated that this law could effectively eliminate the vestiges of civil society in Egypt, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and association.
Under the new law, any organization deemed undesirable by the junta can be retroactively declared a terrorist organization, even if there is no evidence of terrorism in its activities. Anyone accused of forming or leading such an organization faces the death penalty, while funding it (even the smallest contribution, which is easy to fake) can result in life imprisonment or 25 years in prison. Creating websites or social media pages that are considered extremist is punishable by 5 to 7 years in prison.
Under the new law, cases involving «national security» will be tried by military courts.
It should be noted, however, that US policy towards Egypt and the Sisi junta is ambiguous. The U.S. reacted favorably to the Sisi-led coup that ousted democratically elected President Muhammad Morsi, who was subsequently sentenced to death by the junta. While the U.S. condemns some of the «excesses» of the anti-Islamist junta, it does so in a way that does not sever ties of cooperation, similar to the stance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who refused to recognize the junta and continues to consider Muhammad Morsi the legitimate president of Egypt. Even in this statement by Kirby, he noted that despite their condemnations, the U.S. is ready to assist Egypt in its «fight against terrorism.