[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
Political Rights
At least 150 people arrested nationwide on Jan 25 anniversary Police forces were deployed in huge numbers in the streets and squares of Egypt’s urban centers on the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising, with media reports suggesting at least 150 opposition protesters were arrested across the country on Monday.
Downtown: Site of revolts to city of ghosts Egypt’s security forces commemorated 25 January by raiding private apartments and closing public space.
January 25, 2016: Cold, gray and mostly quiet This year, in no small part due to extraordinarily repressive measures, the balance of power on the day was firmly tilted in favor of the security forces.
Cartoonist Islam Gawish arrested for anti-gov’t comics Security forces arrested cartoonist Islam Gawish on Sunday for drawings critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and the Egyptian state.
Backlash against state attempts to politicize sermons Government attempts to control Egypt’s religious discourse were back in the spotlight, as unified Friday sermons criminalizing street protests in the lead up to 25 January were criticized by imams and prominent religious figures.
The security apparatus: Defeat, failed reform and back to full force An examination of the Interior Ministry`s trajectory since the 25 January uprising.
Update: TV correspondent`s sister denies his arrest for video prank on police Roula Abu Zaid, sister of TV correspondent Shady Abu Zaid, denied previous reports that Shady had been arrested for appearing in a video with actor Ahmed Malek passing out condom balloons to police officers in Tahrir Square on the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
Update: Matareya doctors drop assault charges against police after `threats` Two doctors allegedly assaulted by police officers in al-Matareya hospital on Thursday have dropped all charges against their assailants following "threats" from the Interior Ministry.
Egypt`s doctors’ syndicate closes Al-Matariya Hospital following police assault Egypt`s doctors’ syndicate has decided to “forcefully shut down” al-Matariya Teaching Hospital until a group of policemen who are accused of assaulting doctors at the hospital are held accountable, among other demands.
Egypt suspends policemen over hospital assault, hospital remains closed Egypt’s interior ministry said it has suspended a group of policemen who allegedly assaulted two physicians at al-Matariya Teaching Hospital.
HRW report slams Egypt`s human rights record A crisis in human rights continues in President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s Egypt more than two years after the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi, Human Rights Watch asserted on Wednesday.
Rights groups, public figures condemn ongoing detention of journalist Hesham Gaafar A joint statement released by several rights groups and public figures condemned the ongoing detention of journalist Hesham Gaafar, who has now been imprisoned for 100 days.
Campaigns for release of jailed doctor Taher Mokhtar go global Local and international campaigns for the release of jailed doctor Taher Mokhtar have gained momentum over the last few days.
Egyptian-German researcher Atef Botros banned from entering Egypt Security officials at Cairo International Airport prevented researcher and academic Atef Botros from entering Egypt on Friday, claiming they were acting on information received from the Egyptian embassy in Berlin.
Four Coptic teenagers tried for insulting religion Four Coptic teenagers from a village in Minya are being tried for insulting religion in a video mocking the Islamic State. The trial was postponed on Saturday to 4 February.
Poet Fatima Naoot sentenced to 3 years in prison for contempt of religion Poet, journalist and ex-parliamentary candidate Fatima Naoot was sentenced to three years in prison and a 20,000 LE fine for contempt of religion and insulting Islam on Tuesday.
The saga with Egypt`s civil service law continues Although Egypt’s parliament rejected President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s civil service law, the rejection has not yet been activated.
Ministerial committee responds to concerns about health insurance bill The National Council for Human Rights discussed on Sunday the newly drafted health insurance bill ahead of the parliamentary review.
Judge drops embezzlement charges against 90 Interior Ministry officials A judge has dropped charges of embezzlement against ninety Interior Ministry officials and administrative staff after they returned millions that they received in bonuses between 2000 and 2011.
Al Jazeera files int’l arbitration claim against Egypt, seeks $150 million in damages The Al Jazeera news network announced on Wednesday that it has formally filed an international arbitration claim against Egypt and is seeking 150 million USD in compensation for damages associated with the state’s ban on its local operations and the imprisonment of its staffers.
Al Jazeera cannot sue us, we have no contract: Egyptian authorities The State Litigation Authority`s spokesperson, Sameh Sayed, has denied allegations made by the Qatari-based Media network Al-Jazeera about suing the Egyptian government for damages.
Prosecution appeals decision to release Alaa, Gamal Mubarak in corruption case Public Prosecution appealed a criminal court decision to release Alaa and Gamal Mubarak in what has become known as the presidential palaces case.
April 6 Movement’s request for judge replacement in terrorism trial set for February 23 The Cairo Appeals Court on Wednesday set 23 February as the date to consider a request by the April 6 Youth Movement to replace the judge trying them for sabotage and terrorism charges.
Talk show host Entisar acquitted of immorality charges Actress Entisar was acquitted of immorality charges by the Nasr City Criminal Court on Sunday. The same court also dismissed charges against Tarek Nour, the owner of the Al-Qahera wal Nas satellite channel that airs her talk show, “Nafsana.”
Court upholds 2-year sentence against surgeon, 4 others for protesting An appeals court upheld a two-year sentence on Wednesday against surgeon Ahmed Saeed and four other defendants, on charges related to a silent stand they held last November in commemoration of the 2011 Mohamed Mahmoud clashes.
Egypt court postpones top auditor`s investigation for third time A Cairo court postponed the investigation into Egypt`s top auditor Hisham Geneina`s case in which he is accused of insulting the judiciary.
Economy
Central Bank eases dollar deposit limit for importers In a partial rollback of a policy local businesses have blamed for harming local importers and manufacturers, the Central Bank of Egypt has eased restrictions on dollar deposits for importers of some essential commodities.
Imported consumer goods are about to get more expensive Beginning Monday, customs duties on hundreds of consumer goods will increase by five to ten percent, making total import taxes as high as forty percent.
Facing rumors of money troubles, Egypt denies tension with foreign oil, gas firms Reports of unpaid bills and friction with foreign oil and gas companies are once again dogging Egypt’s petroleum authorities.
Foreign Relations
Italy urges Egypt to resolve missing student mystery Italy has urged Egypt to track down an Italian student who "mysteriously disappeared" in Cairo this month, the foreign ministry said Sunday in a statement.
Egypt’s President Sisi to meet Ethiopian PM, African leaders in Addis Ababa on sidelines of AU Summit President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi presented a report to the summit on the outcome of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris that was held between 30 November and 12 December 2015.
Bashir tells Sisi `Sudan keen to not harm Egypt` in dam saga Sudan is keen to not cause harm to Egypt`s interests regarding the controversial Renaissance Dam, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir told Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Ethiopia`s Addis Ababa on Saturday.
Egypt condemns suicide attack in Saudi mosque Egypt condemns the suicide bombing of a Shia mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia that killed four and wounded eighteen others, a foreign affairs ministry statement read.
Domestic Security
4 police officers killed, 12 injured in Arish bombing Four police personnel were killed and twelve were injured in a bombing targeting a police vehicle in Arish in North Sinai.
Explosive device kills two security personnel in Egypt`s North Sinai Two Egyptian security personnel were killed on Sunday when an improvised explosive device exploded on the side of the road near their vehicle north of al-Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
“This Land is their Land”: Egypt’s Military and the Economy Abdel-Fattah Barayez examines the Egyptian military’s influence on the national economy.
The Rise and Decline of a Heterotopic Space: Views from Midan al-Tahrir Farha Ghannam explores how the re-appropriation of Midan al-Tahrir in different ways by various social and political groups calls for its redefinition from a “heterotopia” to a “heterotopic space.”
Phoenix Rising from the Ashes? The Internal State of Affairs of the Muslim Brotherhood at the Start of 2016 Victor J. Willi examines the current state of the Muslim Brotherhood, tracing the recent events that led up to it.
Democracy Dialogue: Global Conversations Inspired by Egypt’s January 25 Revolution A multimedia project inspired by the Egyptian revolution of 25 January, 2011, Democracy Dialogue was developed with a team from the Global Studies in Education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in order to probe pressing global questions about the history of freedom movements, citizenship, security, equality, democracy, popular uprisings and alternative politics.
How the West Undermined Women’s Rights in the Arab World Nicola Pratt problematizes the notion that the West is an agent of progress and women’s rights in the Arab world, expanding the concept of women’s agency beyond resistance to patriarchy and demonstrating the ways in which the subversion and resignification of gender norms were also part of a counter-hegemonic movement against the geopolitical order.
لا يزالون آملين بالديمقراطية Abdou El-Bermawy interrogates the prospect of democratic hope in the wake of the Arab Spring.
ممنوع الاقتراب أو التصوير: الجيش والاقتصاد في مصر Abdel-Fattah Barayez examines the Egyptian military’s influence on the national economy.
عن الانتصار العسكري والهزيمة الإيديولوجية Mohamed Medhat examines the repressive effects of past and present-day policies of the Ministry of Religious Endowments.