Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Under the proposed changes, individuals who evade conscription after the age of 30 would face imprisonment and fines ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 Egyptian pounds, up from 3,000 to 10,000 pounds under the current law.
Those called up for reserve service who fail to report without a valid excuse would face jail terms and fines of 10,000 to 20,000 pounds, compared with 1,000 to 3,000 pounds at present.
The amendments were approved during a meeting of the Defence and National Security Committee of the House of Representatives, which endorsed the government-submitted bill before sending it to the full chamber for debate.
In addition to higher fines, the draft law amends Article 7 so that involvement in terrorist operations is treated the same as wartime service when granting temporary or permanent exemptions from compulsory military service.
According to the explanatory memorandum, the changes reflect the armed forces’ role in combating terrorism and protecting national security, noting that such operations have caused casualties among members of the armed forces and police, as well as harm to civilians.
The memorandum added that the amendments reaffirm the constitutional requirement of compulsory military service, while helping the armed forces manage annual conscription and maintain adequate reserve readiness in line with military needs.
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