[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
Sectarian clashes erupt in Minya following village dispute A new wave of sectarian violence broke out in the Upper Egyptian city of Minya following clashes in Yaacoub village on Tuesday.
Coptic woman stripped naked, assaulted in Minya sectarian violence A number of angry residents from Karm village in Minya assaulted and stripped a Coptic Christian woman in a wave of sectarian violence, the archbishopric of Minya said in an official statement late Wednesday.
Minya bishop criticizes Al-Azhar initiative to tackle sectarianism Minya Bishop Makaryous dismissed efforts by representatives from the church and Al-Azhar as being about publicity and not real reconciliation.
Sisi promises swift investigations into Minya sectarian violence as police arrest 10 suspects Ten people have been arrested in connection with violence that broke out on 20 May in Karm village in Minya Governorate, in which an elderly Coptic Christian woman was assaulted and Christian houses were looted, according to statements issued by the Ministry of Interior on Thursday night.
Sources point to explosion on EgyptAir plane, head of forensics denies Shortly after sources at an investigation committee said Tuesday that human remains of survivors suggest an explosion erupted on board the doomed EgyptAir plane before it crashed, the head of Egypt`s forensics dismissed the statements as unfounded.
Amnesty, HRW lament Egypt`s `crackdown on dissent`, call for serious measures Between calling for an arms embargo and demanding the release of protesters, international rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch lament Egypt`s "crackdown on dissent."
Substantial fines taint vacated prison sentences A court vacated the five-year sentences levied against forty-seven people arrested during 25 April’s anti-government mobilizations prompted by Egypt’s decision to transfer sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia.
Judge refuses to allow convicted protesters to pay LE100,000 fine in installments The Dokki Misdemeanor Court has rejected an appeal against the 100,000 LE fine imposed on forty-seven people convicted of participating in the 25 April protests. The judge also refused to allow the defendants to pay the fines in installments.
Court adjourns case to determine Hossam Bahgat, Gamal Eid’s assets to July 17 The Cairo Criminal Court has adjourned the court session to review whether to freeze the assets of human rights workers Hossam Bahgat and Gamal Eid for a the third time.
Members of satirical troupe receive another 15 days of detention The East Cairo Prosecution renewed the detention of four members of the online satirical troupe Atfal al-Shawarea for another fifteen days on Tuesday.
Detention for two journalists arrested from inside syndicate renewed An Egyptian court renewed on Sunday the detention of two journalists arrested from inside the press syndicate earlier in May.
Military court sentences eight civilians to death A military court sentenced eight civilians to death by hanging in a Sunday verdict.
Court acquits Reham Saeed of 18-month sentence for airing personal photos of assault victimTelevision host Reham Saeed was acquitted of libel, slander and violating an assault victim`s privacy by airing personal photographs of the woman without her permission.
Egypt`s highest court cancels 5-year prison sentence for 5 female students Five Egyptian female university students sentenced in 2013 to five years in prison each over “violence” on campus will have their appeal heard by the Court of Cassation, the court ruled on Wednesday.
Egyptian court slashes prison sentence in homosexuality case A Giza court slashed Sunday prison sentences against eleven accused of homosexuality from twelve years to one year while one defendant was acquitted.
Safwat al-Sherif, sons sentenced to 5-10 years in prison for illicit gains A Cairo court sentenced former Information Minister Safwat al-Sherif and his son Ihab al-Sherif to five years in prison on Saturday, and sentenced his other son Ashraf al-Sherif, who has fled the country, to ten years imprisonment for illicit gains and abusing power for personal gain.
Egypt detains then deports French journalist on arrival at Cairo airport Cairo International Airport authorities detained French journalist Rémy Pigaglio on Monday for thirty hours on his arrival in Egypt from France before they deported him.
US citizen barred entry to Egypt due to `national security` concerns US citizen Ada Petiwala was refused entry to Egypt on Tuesday, after being detained and interrogated at Cairo International Airport, and was told she is banned from entering the country again as she is considered a problem for national security.
Head of CIHRS Mohamed Zarea banned from traveling Head of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Mohamed Zarea was banned from traveling on Thursday morning as he was heading to Tunisia.
Social Solidarity Ministry closes 75 NGOs, 121 childcare centers in Beheira The Ministry of Social Solidarity has closed 75 nongovernmental organizations and 121 childcare centers and nurseries in the Nile Delta Governorate of Beheira this week.
Three policemen detained in Egypt over suspect`s death in custody Egyptian prosecutors ordered on Saturday the detention of three low-ranking policemen to four days pending investigation over the purported death of an elderly citizen in custody, in the latest in a series of police brutality incidents.
Trial for policemen who assaulted doctors at hospital delayed to June 7 An Egyptian court decided on Tuesday to postpone the trial of nine low-ranking policemen involved in a case of police assault on doctors at a hospital to 7 June, to review more documents.
Egyptian media gloats over fabricated Guardian articles As soon as the Guardian accused freelance journalist Joseph Mayton of fabricating sources in pieces he wrote for them, local media reveled in what it deemed “the Guardian’s scandal,” seizing the opportunity to accuse the British newspaper of publishing misleading reports about Egypt.
World Bank: Egypt`s middle class shrank in the lead-up to Arab Spring In the first decade of the twenty-first Century, the middle class expanded across the Middle East, except in Egypt and Yemen, a recent World Bank study concludes.
Egypt’s widening wealth gap Despite figures indicating relative income equality, Egypt`s wealth gap is growing, and tax policies aren’t helping.
Parliamentary speaker warns MPs to stay mum on monetary policies Parliamentary Speaker Ali Abdel Aal has warned members of Parliament against speaking to the media about Egypt’s monetary policies, saying any violators would be referred to a disciplinary committee.
CAPMAS: Female life expectancy increases to 72.9 years old Female life expectancy in Egypt increased from 70.5 years old in 2009 to 72.9 in 2015, according to figures released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics on Saturday to mark the occasion of the International Day of Action for Women`s Health.
Economy
Nile Cotton, Alexandria Shipyard workers sit in against unpaid wages, state failures For the second consecutive day, hundreds of workers from two state-owned companies have been challenging the restrictive provisions of Egypt’s protest law by conducting overnight sit-ins to protest against the state’s labor policies.
Egypt`s battered tourist industry anxiously awaits EgyptAir crash investigation results Egypt’s travel industry is watching anxiously as experts and officials air competing explanations for the deadly crash of EgyptAir flight MS804 last week.
Foreign Relations
Egypt will support international efforts to resolve Palestinian issue, President Sisi says Egypt will support initiatives and international efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, Egypt`s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi told his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas during a Cairo meeting on Saturday.
Egypt says Ethiopia remains committed not to harm its Nile water share Egypt`s foreign ministry has underlined that Ethiopian officials repeatedly deny being indifferent towards any damage that could result from construction of the country`s Grand Renaissance Dam.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi arrives in Cairo for brief meeting with Sisi Abu Dhabi`s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrived in Cairo Wednesday for a short visit to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt`s military cooperation with US continues to move forward On 12 May Egypt received the first shipment of armored vehicles from the US. The US Embassy in Cairo featured an article on its official website on the details of the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, designed to protect soldiers from improvised explosive devices, landmines and other forms of attacks.
Domestic Security
Two policemen killed, three others injured in North Sinai explosion- interior ministry Two policemen were killed and three others injured in an explosion in North Sinai on Sunday, Egypt’s interior ministry said.
Police officer, 2 conscripts injured in Arish blast – interior ministry Egypt’s interior ministry said on Saturday that a police officer and two conscripts were injured in a blast in the North Sinai town of al-Arish.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Digital Activism and Civil Society in the Middle East (Beirut, 3-4 June) "The Media Project” at the Arab Studies Institute announces its workshop on digital activism, civil society, and media in the Middle East, an event featuring some of the most creative and revolutionary activists, journalists, and technologists from Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.
رسام الكاريكاتير المصري تامر يوسف As part of a special file dedicated to Arab caricature artists and their contribution to the political discourse, this article examines the work of Egyptian caricature artist Tamer Yousef.