Egypt court says state of emergency lifted, but security forces enforcing it

Ousted President Mohammed Morsy is on trial at a police academy in Cairo on November 3.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Court announces lifting of emergency rules two days earlier than expected
• Military, police say they still haven't received court's order
• Military says it's still enforcing curfews
• Emergency rules began three months ago after deadly clashes in Cairo

Egypt's administrative court said Tuesday that it has lifted a three-month state of emergency in the country, though the nation's military and police said they're still enforcing it because they'd yet to receive the court's ruling, state-run media reported.

Because of the security forces' stance, it wasn't immediately clear when the emergency rules -- which include curfews intended to limit public gatherings after deadly clashes in August -- would truly be canceled.

The emergency was ordered in August, during a period of intense unrest after the July coup that ousted President Mohamed Morsy. Clashes flared in August when security forces broke up huge Cairo sit-ins led by Morsy supporters; hundreds died, and thousands were injured.

Mohamed Morsy trial interrupted by defendants' chanting

The administrative court announced Tuesday that the state of emergency would be lifted in the afternoon, two days earlier than expected, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported.

But Tuesday night, the military said on Facebook that the nighttime curfews would continue until the court officially notified it of its order.

The Interior Ministry also said it hadn't received the court order, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

Muslim Brotherhood ban upheld

Egypt's Cabinet had said previously that the emergency would be lifted on Thursday.

The military ousted Morsy on July 3 and installed an interim government, saying Morsy was a tyrant trying to impose conservative values. Morsy supporters, including the Muslim Brotherhood, have said the coup was an illegal power grab by the military and elements of the regime of longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Morsy is awaiting trial on allegations that he ordered supporters to attack protesters in December, while he still was in power.

Morsy became the country's first democratically elected president in June 2012, more than a year after protests prompted Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades with the military's support, to step down.

Mubarak faces a retrial on charges involving the killing of hundreds of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him.

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