[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: Prosecution challenges release of researcher and journalist Ismail Alexandrani The State Security Prosecution has appealed all release orders issued by the North Cairo Criminal Court on Sunday, including the order to release researcher and journalist Ismail Alexandrani.
Egypt lifts freeze imposed on El Nadeem Center`s bank account Egypt’s El Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence said on Wednesday that the freeze order on its bank account has been lifted a week after the central bank made the move.
Journalists Syndicate leading figures sentenced to two years in prison Three leading figures of Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate including its head were sentenced on Saturday to two years in prison for harboring two fugitives at the syndicate headquarters and spreading false news.
Journalists` Syndicate leaders to appeal 2-year sentence Egypt’s Journalists’ Syndicate condemned the conviction of three syndicate leaders on charges of harboring fugitives, confirming they will appeal the verdict, the union said in a statement on Saturday.
Testimonies from families of Borg al-Arab prisoners Authorities from Borg al-Arab Prison in Alexandria governorate began the process of moving 300 political prisoners to Gamasa Prison in Daqahlia and Minya Prison on Wednesday.
82 held in Egypt’s prisons granted presidential pardon President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree on Thursday to pardon eighty-two people being held in Egypt’s prisons.
Cart driver tortured to death in Amereya A fifty-year-old cart driver was tortured to death in the eastern Cairo district of Amereya earlier this week, allegedly at the hands of police, according to his family, although the Interior Ministry denied this.
Conflicting reports about torture victim before release of forensic report Media reports have quoted unnamed sources confirming that a cart driver allegedly tortured to death last week at the hands of the police in Cairo actually died from a diabetic coma.
Policeman sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting tea vendor A policeman was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after a court in New Cairo found him guilty of fatally shooting a tea vendor back in April.
Health ministry to take legal action against Doctors’ Syndicate deputy following medical supplies claims The Health Ministry said it will take legal action against the Doctors’ Syndicate’s deputy head after she claimed that doctors receive orders to use syringes and other medical supplies more than once due to a shortage in hospitals.
Update: Military trial for Alexandria Shipyard workers adjourned to December 20 Twenty-six Alexandria Shipyard Company employees are standing military trial for their involvement in industrial action at the company in May to demand the national minimum wage.
Worker solidarity campaign files complaint to NCHR challenging labor violations The Campaign in Solidarity with Alexandria Shipyard and Public Transport Workers filed an official complaint with the National Council for Human Rights on Thursday, calling on the state-appointed body to intervene on behalf of twenty-six Alexandria Shipyard Company workers – who are standing trial before a military court – and six jailed Cairo Public Transport Authority employees.
Public transport workers: Dissidents across different regimes Trade union leader Tarek al-Beheiry addressed his fellow workers on 16 September, 2012, during a strike led by the Independent Trade Union for Public Transport workers.
Authorities prevent Nubian protest from reaching Nubian village for 2nd time Egyptian authorities have prevented a Nubian caravan of cars from moving into Toshka in Aswan for the second time based on “orders by sovereign bodies,” according to an organizer of the caravan.
Port Said’s Boulevard cultural center raided, shut down by authorities One of Port Said’s main independent cultural centers was raided and closed on Tuesday by members of the Sharq municipality, Sharq Police Station and the public facilities police department.
Court of Cassation overturns Mohamed Morsi’s death sentence The Court of Cassation overturned the death sentence issued against ousted President Mohamed Morsi and twenty-six Muslim Brotherhood leaders on Tuesday, and ordered a retrial.
Former culture minister, 3 journalists referred to court for insulting judiciary Egypt’s public prosecutor has referred former Culture Minister Gaber Asfour, and three journalists from the privately owned al-Bawaba newspaper to the criminal court for insulting the public prosecution.
TV host Moataz Matar sentenced to 3 years in prison An Egyptian court sentenced TV host Moataz Matar in absentia to three years in prison for inciting protests against the state and spreading rumors through his program aired on al-Sharq satellite channel.
Egypt’s 3rd exodus since 50s includes people of all political persuasions Egypt is witnessing a third wave of migration of political dissidents, according to a report released by civil society organization, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, on Tuesday.
Six months after EgyptAir crash, Egypt announces all Paris flight passengers dead Six months after EgyptAir flight MS804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on its way back from Paris, the Egyptian government has officially announced all passengers dead and no longer missing, according to a cabinet announcement in the official Gazette on Thursday.
Has Parliament been sidelined in Egypt’s loan-approval process? While Egypt’s government has moved quickly to impose a series of economic measures in the past few weeks, culminating with the International Monetary Fund’s executive board’s approval to grant the country a twelve billion USD, three-year loan, Parliament has been fairly silent.
Parliament approves secretly drafted NGO law In a surprise move, Egypt’s Parliament announced the approval of a controversial draft non-governmental organization bill on 15 November after a parliamentary session the previous day.
Economy
Eighty thousand join ranks of unemployed in 3rd quarter of 2016 - CAPMAS Egypt’s unemployment rate increased slightly in the third quarter of 2016 to reach 12.6 percent up from 12.5 percent in the second quarter; an increase of 80,000 unemployed people, the official statistics agency said on Wednesday.
Egypt’s budget deficit eases to 2.4% of GDP in first quarter 2016/17 Egypt’s budget deficit fell to 2.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product in the first three months of the 2016/17 Fiscal Year, compared to 2.8 percent in the same period last year, amid subsidy cuts and reduced government spending.
Egypt`s pound weakens as dollar demand surges, interest rates steady The Egyptian pound weakened significantly on Sunday as banks scrambled to meet a surge in demand for dollars and the central bank held benchmark interest rates steady.
EIPR: Flotation will not solve Egypt’s foreign currency crisis Egypt’s ongoing foreign exchange crisis could worsen despite the flotation of the currency earlier this month because the government is failing to tackle the actual causes of the problem, according to a report published Wednesday by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
Pharmaceutical industry in crisis after pound flotation, industry heads lobby for resolution Leading pharmaceutical manufacturers convened with Parliament’s health committee and the Ministry of Health on Monday to discuss solutions to the ongoing pharmaceutical crisis.
CAPMAS: Egypt’s print media continues to decline There has been a significant decline in the sales and circulation of Egypt’s print media publications, according to the latest figures from the state-owned Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
Foreign Relations
Egypt`s Sisi praises Donald Trump, expects more US engagement in Middle East Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised US President-elect Donald Trump, saying people “shouldn’t jump into conclusions or worry” about future US actions in the Middle East.
Egypt ambassador accuses UK prime minister of blocking flight resumption to Sharm El-Sheikh Egyptian ambassador to the UK Nasser Kamel blamed Prime Minister Theresa May for obstructing the resumption of flights to Sharm al-Sheikh.
Domestic Security
Militant group Lewaa al-Thawra publishes footage of Adel Ragaei assassination A Facebook account named Media of the Resistance posted a video on Monday, attributed to the radical Islamist group Lewaa al Thawra, showing scenes from the assassination of Brigadier General Adel Ragaei
Egypt refers 292 members of ISIS-affiliated group to military court Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek has referred on Sunday 292 members of Sinai Province group to a military court over forming twenty-two terrorist cells.
Arabic
80 ألف متعطل جديد فى سوق البطالة.. وزيادة معدلاتها إلى 12.6% فى الربع الثالث من2016 Central Agency for public mobilization and statistics shows that Egypt’s unemployment rate increased to 12.6 percent during the last third quarter of 2016 compared to 12.5 percent in the second quarter of the same year.
سؤال وبيان: أول تحرك برلماني في ما يخص دستورية القروض Egypt’s receipt of an IMF without parliamentary approval is unconstitutional and the government might be held accountable, according to constitutional law expert.
نائبة بالبرلمان: الحكومة تعطل مناقشة مشروعات قوانين «منع التمييز» للمرة الثانية The parliament’s head of legislative committee decides to adjourn the discussions on anti-discrimination bills.
«أموال النديم» وقانون النواب.. تصعيد نوعي في المعركة مع المجتمع المدني El Nadeem Center for the rehabilitation of victims of violence was notified that authorities froze its bank account.
مصر: إلغاء أحكام بالإعدام على مرسي وقياديين من «الإخوان» Egypt’s court of cassation overturns Morsi’s death sentence and orders a retrial of his case in criminal court.
أحزاب ومنظمات أهلية: قانون الجمعيات الجديد.. مذبحة مؤكدة للمجتمع المدني Six political parties and twenty-two civil society organizations condemned the new nongovernmental associations law approved, which the parliament approved on Tuesday.
السجن المؤبد لأمين شرطة لقتله بائعا بمدينة الرحاب Egypt’s criminal court hands policeman a life sentence for killing a tea vendor near Rehab city last April.
مصر: البرلمان يهاجم الحكومة بسبب قرض صندوق النقد الدولي ويعرّضها للمساءلة Parliament criticizes the government for securing IMF loan without legislative approval.
مصر | السيسي يبحث عن مكاسب... في القضاء Sisi seeks new legislation that expands presidential pardon powers.
أحزاب ومنظمات ترفض قانون «الجمعيات الأهلية»: يتضمّن عقوبات سالبة للحرية Parties and organizations object to new non-governmental associations law, which gives the government and security bodies full control over civil society.
شهادات من سجن برج العرب: المحبوسون تعرضوا للتعذيب (فيديو وصور) Families of detainees in Burj Al Arab prison report that some prisoners were victims of verbal and physical abuse and were barred from meeting visitors.
النص الكامل لـ«قانون الجمعيات الأهلية» Al-Masry Al-Youm publishes the full text of nongovernmental associations law.
الرئيس المصري يعفو عن 82 من السجناء الشباب President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pardons eighty-two prisoners.
تأجيل محاكمة علاء وجمال مبارك في «التلاعب بالبورصة» لـ15 يناير Egypt’s criminal court adjourns the trial of Alaa and Gamal Mubarak and seven other defendants over “stock market manipulation” case to 15 January 2017.
اجتماع طارئ لـ«الصحفيين» بعد حكم حبس النقيب Journalists Syndicate Council calls for an emergency meeting to consider the prison sentences against Egypt’s press syndicate chairman and two of its board members.