[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
Update: Wreckage found from missing EgyptAir flight off coast of Greek island Wreckage from the missing EgyptAir flight MS804 has been found near the Greek island of Karpathos, along with life jackets and other plastic material, EgyptAir announced on Thursday evening.
More evidence collected from MS804 crash in Mediterranean, search for black boxes continues Additional evidence attributed to the crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 has been recovered from the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday – according to the Egyptian Armed Forces.
Families of the MS804 victims, from waiting to mourning Debris from the flight was found on Friday in the deep waters of the Mediterranean, according to the Egyptian Armed Forces` search and rescue operations and all sixty-six people on board are presumed to have been killed in the crash.
Egypt sends robot submarine to help plane crash search Egypt has sent a robot submarine to join the hunt for an EgyptAir plane which crashed in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean Sea with sixty-six people on board, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday.
EgyptAir plane crash: Sisi says no scenario more likely than others Egypt’s president called on Egyptian and international media on Sunday not to consider “a certain scenario” more likely than others regarding the cause of an EgyptAir plane crash that killed all sixty-six persons on board.
Preliminary report on crashed EgyptAir jet to be released in 1 month An Egypt-led investigation committee will release a preliminary report on Thursday’s crash of EgyptAir’s Cairo-Paris flight MS804 in one month.
Rights lawyer Negad al-Borai summoned to interrogation for 5th time Human rights lawyer and United Group law firm head Negad al-Borai was summoned for interrogation on Tuesday, 17 May in relation to allegations of establishing an illegal group, according to a statement by the United Group.
Q&A with lawyer Negad al-Borai on the case against him and anti-torture draft law Shortly before charges were brought against al-Borai in March 2015, the United Group submitted a draft bill criminalizing torture in police stations and detention facilities to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The draft, discussed in this interview with al-Borai from last month, was resubmitted to the Court of Cassation and Parliament before his most recent arrest on Tuesday.
Rights activist Mina Thabet arrested from home by national security Rights activist and researcher Mina Thabet was arrested from his home early on Thursday by plainclothes police officials, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported.
Belady Foundation, Aya Hegazy trial postponed for seventh time Judicial proceedings in the case of the independent nongovernmental organization, the Belady Foundation, for the support of street children were adjourned for the seventh time on Saturday – delaying these proceedings by another six months, until 19 November.
Defense lawyers withdraw from Adly and Banna`s detention hearing in protest Shubra Prosecution renewed the detention of lawyers Malek Adly and Sayed al-Banna for fifteen days on Wednesday in the absence of the defendants’ lawyers.
Save Malek Adly`s life, Egyptian rights defenders appeal to UN commissioner Seven Egyptian human rights organizations appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “immediately intervene to save lawyer Malek Adly’s life” after he was allegedly subjected to torture in custody.
Activists reiterate concern over `enforced disappearance`, interior ministry denies As Egypt`s rights defendants continue to voice concerns about purported enforced disappearance cases, pointing fingers of blame at the interior ministry, a ministry official said Tuesday such cases do not exist in the country.
Journalists Syndicate General Assembly: No backing down until interior minister leaves On Wednesday the Journalists Syndicate held its second General Assembly meeting in two weeks to discuss the response to a security raid on the Syndicate’s headquarters on 1 May and the arrest of two journalists.
Court adjourns Tiran and Sanafir islands lawsuit to June 7 The case concerning Egypt’s transfer of sovereign control of Tiran and Sanafir Islands to Saudi Arabia was adjourned to 7 June during the first session on Tuesday, to allow for the submission of official documents.
Detained protesters begin hunger strike; NGOs hold authorities responsible Egyptian nongovernmental organizations announced on Saturday that they hold authorities responsible for the well being of forty-seven detainees who have announced starting open-ended hunger strikes after they received five-year sentences for protesting the transfer of Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.
Once a student rights defender, now a prisoner for `unauthorised protest` Known for his efforts in student advocacy and research, Mohamed Nagy was "arbitrarily" arrested on 25 April, to be later sentenced to five years in prison for unauthorized protest, according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression.
Court reduces sentence for activists Maher, Douma, Adel for `assaulting court guard` A Cairo court accepted on Sunday an appeals request submitted by activists Ahmed Douma, Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel and reduced their punishment from six months to one month in a case where they were accused of `attacking a court guard.`
Court recommends death sentences for 7 defendants over 2013 violence The Cairo Criminal Court referred seven runaway defendants, allegedly Muslim Brotherhood supporters, to Egypt`s Grand Mufti to explore his opinion over sentencing them to death for violence in 2013.
Egypt court hands life sentences to 25 defendants An Egyptian court handed sentences of fifteen years to lifetime imprisonment to twenty-seven "Muslim Brotherhood members" on Monday for "belonging to a terrorist organization" and breaking the protest law.
Egypt court acquits 36 students after spending more than 2 years in jail An Egyptian court acquitted on Saturday thirty-six Azhar University students who have been serving a five-year jail sentence since December 2013 over clashes that took place on campus.
Prosecution refers nine policemen accused of assaulting doctors to court Egypt`s public prosecutor referred on Wednesday nine policemen accused of assaulting doctors at the Matariya teaching hospital in January to court.
Trials of top prosecutor murder case to begin June 14 The initial trial sessions for the detainees accused of killing former top prosecutor Hisham Barakat are to begin on 14 June, the head of the Cairo Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday.
Geneina’s appeal argues executive orders contravene legal precedent, Constitution Former head of the Central Auditing Authority Hesham Geneina appeared before an administrative court on Tuesday to appeal the executive decree issued in late March that removed him from his post.
Parliament to review draft law on building new churches When a Coptic Orthodox community in an Ismailia village built a church in 2009 to avoid walking six kilometers to the closest church in a nearby city, their Muslim neighbors were angered and pressed police to close the church, arguing that its construction was unlicensed.
Homosexuality is not a crime Dalia Abdel Hamid examines how, in the context of Egypt, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biophobia provides an opportunity to discuss the situation for LGBT individuals.
Economy
Cabinet approves VAT bill The Cabinet approved in principle a bill establishing a Value Added Tax during its Monday meeting. The draft law will now be sent to the State Council for review before being passed to Parliament for discussion and ratification.
European travel and leisure stocks fall after EgyptAir plane goes missing European travel and leisure stocks fell and underperformed a weaker, broader market on Thursday after EgyptAir said a plane carrying more than sixty passengers and crew had gone missing.
Faced with shortages, Egypt lifts cheap drug prices by 20 per cent Egypt is raising the price cap on medicines that cost up to thirty Egyptian pounds by twenty percent in an effort to address drug shortages, the health minister said on Monday.
Egypt`s central bank offers $120 million to cover pharmaceutical imports Egypt`s central bank said it is offering 120 million USD in its regular currency sale on Tuesday to be used for imports of pharmaceutical products, manufacturing components, vaccines and related chemicals and infant formula.
Foreign Relations
U.S. Navy joins search for debris of EgyptAir flight The U.S. Navy has continued its search operations, which began on Thursday, for EgyptAir flight MS804 in coordination with the Egyptian rescue mission, according to the U.S. embassy in Cairo.
Sisi approves US$25 bn Russian loan for nuclear power plant President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has approved a 25 billion USD loan from Russia to build Egypt’s first nuclear power plant, according to a decree published in the Official Gazette on Thursday.
France returns 44 stolen artifacts to Egypt After six years of diplomatic efforts, Egypt has recovered forty-four ancient artifacts from France. The objects date back to different historic periods, including the Roman dominion over Egypt and the Coptic Christian era.
Israel says return of artefacts to Egypt shows relations warming Israel on Sunday returned to Egypt two stolen sarcophagi lids, saying the repatriation of the millennia-old artifacts was a sign of warmer relations between the two countries.
Sisi stresses need to solve Palestine question at power plant inauguration President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged Palestinians and Israelis to seek reconciliation, saying Egypt is willing to play a part in reaching a resolution to the longstanding crisis, in his address to inaugurate a power plant in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut.
Domestic Security
Egyptian policeman killed, two others injured in south Cairo raid A police officer was killed and two others were injured when they attempted to arrest a "terrorist element" in southern Cairo, a statement from the Egyptian interior ministry said on Friday.
Police lieutenant, soldier killed in IED explosion in North Sinai A Central Security Forces police first lieutenant and a solider were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated as a police vehicle passed by in North Sinai`s Al-Arish.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
الثورة المضادة في مصر: دور الخوف وتغوّل الأجهزة الأمنية A STATUS conversation with Khaled Fahmy, a history professor at the American University of Cairo, on the revolutions in Egypt throughout history.