House of Representatives member John Talaat said on Monday that he would submit amendments on the drug penalties in the Egyptian penal code to the House of Representatives on Sunday.
Talaat suggested that the amendments would cancel the imprisonment penalty on drug addicts, replacing it with three to six months of treatment in a psychiatric clinic.
He explained that the amendments aim to immerse drug addicts in social life after receiving treatment.
Talaat pointed out that the amendments would save money that the government spends on placing drug addicts in prisons, claiming that the current penalty pushes drug addicts to commit crimes again later.
According to Article 35 of Egypt’s penal code, drug addicts must be placed in prison for at least one year, along with a fine of not less than LE 1,000 and not exceeding LE 3,000.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
