Egypt’s House of Representatives on Monday gave final approval to amendments to the Military Service Law that increase penalties for draft evasion and expand exemptions to include families of those killed or disabled in terrorist operations.
Under the new provisions, anyone who evades conscription after turning 30 faces imprisonment and a fine ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($426 to $2,128), or one of the two penalties. The amendment raises the minimum fine from 10,000 pounds ($213) to 20,000 pounds ($426).
The changes also tighten sanctions for failing to report for compulsory service or military call-up without a legally accepted excuse, increasing the fine to between 10,000 and 20,000 pounds ($213 to $426), up from a previous range of 1,000 to 3,000 pounds ($21 to $64).
Lawmakers also approved adding “terrorist operations” as grounds for both temporary and permanent exemption from military service. The amendments stipulate that the eldest brother or son of a person killed or injured in a way that leaves them permanently unable to earn a living as a result of military or terrorist operations will be exempted from service.
Maj. Gen. Mohamed Abbas Helmy, head of the House Defense and National Security Committee, said the change comes “in appreciation of the sacrifices of the Armed Forces and police in military or terrorist operations, and the harm suffered by innocent civilian citizens.”
Prior to the amendments, permanent exemptions applied to those medically unfit for service; the only son of a deceased father or a father permanently unable to work; the eldest eligible brother or son of a citizen killed or permanently disabled in military operations; and the eldest eligible brother or son of an officer, conscript, or volunteer who died or was permanently disabled due to service.
Temporary exemptions included the only son of a living father; the sole breadwinner for a father, mother, or siblings unable to earn a living; the sole supporter of an unmarried sister; and the eldest eligible brother or son of a missing service member or citizen who disappeared during military operations.
During parliamentary debate, MP Hazem Hamady proposed lowering the minimum fine for draft evasion while increasing the jail term, arguing that financial penalties may disproportionately affect lower-income citizens. The proposal was rejected by Maj. Gen. Khaled Shahdy, assistant defense minister for legal and constitutional affairs.
Shahdy said imprisonment for misdemeanors under the Penal Code ranges from 24 hours to three years and cannot exceed that limit. He added that the fine is proportionate to the offense and that judges retain discretion within the legal range.
The amendments form part of broader efforts to update the Military Service Law in light of what lawmakers described as evolving security challenges.
