Egypt's interim president, Adly Mansour, announces an amendment to the law regulating the punishment for insulting the president.
His presidential decree states that if found guilty, the accused could pay a fine of up to LE30,000 ($4,290) but no less than LE10,000 ($1,430).
This amends Article 170 of the Egyptian penal code, which dictated that an insult to the president lands the offender a minimum of 24 hours in jail but not to exceed three years.
Several activists, political figures and civilians were detained or forced to pay a fine for allegedly offending deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
The number of "insulting the president" lawsuits during Morsi's reign exceeds those filed under all Egyptian rulers since 1892, reveals the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) in a report issued in January.
Furthermore, it says 24 lawsuits for insulting then-president Morsi had been filed against journalists and activists since his inauguration in June 2012. Three of the lawsuits were filed by the president's office with the prosecutor-general.
President Mansour also ordered the reformation of the National Council for Human Rights whose members were chosen by the dissolved Islamist-dominated Shura Council (parliament).
He announces that new council members will be chosen by the Cabinet and it should continue its work until a new parliament is elected.
The post-revolution Shura Council was dissolved on 5 July by a presidential declaration issued by the interim president.
