LONDON (TIP): Egypt‘s leader has defended anti-terror legislation enacted in August, arguing that the country needs stability and time to achieve a democratic future for his nation.

In a BBC interview before his first official visit to Britain on Wednesday, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi batted away questions on human rights concerns and said he wanted to carry out the will of the people. El-Sissi led the July 2013 military ouster of former Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Since then, the government has waged a sweeping crackdown on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. Thousands of political detainees are behind bars, and human rights activists say the measures enshrine a permanent state of emergency in Egypt.

El-Sissi says that Egypt has “experienced turbulence and revolution. We want some stability. We don’t want to do this by force or suppression.” (Source: PTI)