[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.]
Christians in the Crosshairs: ISIS’ String of Sectarian Attacks
2 Egyptian Christians murdered in spate of sectarian attacks in North Sinai Two Coptic Christians were killed by armed militants in North Sinai this week, the latest in a string of sectarian attacks in the Peninsula.
Number of Copts killed by militants in North Sinai this year rises to 7 Militants killed another Coptic resident of Arish on Thursday, bringing the number of victims in the latest wave of sectarian violence against Copts in North Sinai to seven.
Targeted by ISIS, Egyptian Christians Flee Violence Dozens of Egyptian Christian families fled their homes in the northern Sinai Peninsula on Friday, driven by a targeted campaign of Islamist violence that has killed at least seven people in recent weeks.
Egypt`s Christians flee Sinai amid Islamic State killing spree Christian families and students fled Egypt`s North Sinai province in droves on Friday after Islamic State killed the seventh member of their community in just three weeks.
Egyptian leftist parties, rights groups call on govt to protect displaced Sinai Christians A number of political and civil society groups have expressed their solidarity with Christians from North Sinai who have fled their homes in recent days after a spate of militant attacks.
Sisi orders cabinet to help resettle Sinai Christians fleeing ISIS President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday ordered the government to take all necessary measures to help resettle Christians who have fled Egypt`s Northern Sinai after Islamic State militant group killed several members of the community.
Egyptian MPs to visit Ismailia to help Christians fleeing North Sinai The parliament`s human rights committee will send a delegation to meet with Christian families who say they have fled the North Sinai city of Arish due to militant attacks, a Member of Parliament has said.
Coptic Christians fleeing Arish will be returned within 3 days: Minister Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali said Saturday that Coptic Christian families fleeing terrorism in the city of Al-Arish, northern Sinai would be returned to their normal lives in the city within two to three days at maximum.
Islamic State releases video of man alleged to be responsible for December church bombing The Islamic State released a video on Sunday featuring a statement by the man they allege is responsible for the attack on the St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Cairo last December, which killed at least twenty-eight people.
Political Rights
Verdict in retrial of officer accused of killing Shaimaa al-Sabbagh set for June 19 An Egyptian court adjourned the retrial of the policeman accused of killing activist Shaimaa al-Sabbagh on Sunday, the verdict is set to be announced on 19 June. She was killed during the dispersal of a peaceful protest in 2015.
Egyptian court sets 23 March to rule in Aya Hegazi `child exploitation` case An Egyptian criminal court has set 23 March to issue a verdict in the case of Egyptian-American activist Aya Hegazi and six other defendants who are accused of human trafficking, kidnapping, and the sexual exploitation and torture of children.
Verdict on Journalists Syndicate leaders’ appeal adjourned until March 25 The verdict on an appeal filed by Yehia Qallash, head of the Journalists Syndicate, and two board members Khaled al-Balshy and Gamal Abdel Rehim, was postponed by the Kasr al-Nile appeals court on Saturday until 25 March.
Court of Cassation confirms 10 death sentences and 41 convictions in Port Said Stadium violence The criminal proceedings involving fifty-one people implicated in the 2012 Port Said Stadium violence came to a close on Monday when the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the Egyptian common court system, confirmed ten death sentences and forty-one lengthy prison terms.
Defendants in Rabea dispersal case issued 1 year sentences for contempt of court A Cairo criminal court sentenced defendants in the Rabea al-Adaweya sit-in dispersal case to one year in prison for contempt of court for shouting “murderer” during a police officer’s testimony on Saturday. The ruling was issued against all but eleven of the defendants in the case. Among those excluded was photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, known as Shawkan.
Egyptian court acquits Mubarak`s closest aides A Cairo court acquitted one of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak`s closest aides in a retrial in a corruption case.
Funeral held in Monufiya for tuk tuk driver shot dead by police officer A large funeral took place on Tuesday in the Nile Delta governorate of Monufiya for a tuk tuk driver who was shot by a police officer, with local outlets reporting that a number of security personnel were deployed during the funeral procession.
Does a change introduced by the recent Cabinet reshuffle signal the end of transitional justice? Formerly the Transitional Justice and National Reconciliation Ministry, the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has been renamed once again as the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, raising questions about the scope and limitations of its work.
Egypt MP seeks end to constitutional restrictions on presidential terms An Egyptian lawmaker started collecting signatures on Sunday for a motion to extend presidential terms and lift restrictions on re-election - a year before general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi`s first term is due to expire.
Economy
IMF loan in hand, where will the promised LE25 bn in social spending be allocated? In securing a three-year twelve billion USD International Monetary Fund loan in November, the Egyptian government pledged to increase social spending by 25 billion LE. The nominal increase in spending was presented as a means of “easing adjustment” to the package of economic policies spelled out as conditions of the loan.
Egypt’s poor are bearing the brunt of electricity price hikes: EIPR Egypt’s poor and those with limited incomes are bearing the brunt of electricity price hikes this year, a report by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights revealed on Tuesday.
Egypt`s Amer paints positive image of currency float Egypt will receive in March the second one billion tranche of a three billion USD World Bank loan aimed at supporting a government economic reform program, Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer said late on Friday.
Foreign Relations
Trump Talk of Terror Listing for Muslim Brotherhood Alarms Some Arab Allies Of all the initiatives of the Trump administration that have set the Arab world on edge, none has as much potential to disrupt the internal politics of American partners in the region as the proposal to criminalize the Muslim Brotherhood, the pre-eminent Islamist movement with millions of followers.
Al-Sisi discusses military relations with commander of the US CENCOM Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met today with General Jospeh L. Votel, commander of the US Central Command to discuss bilateral relations, especially military cooperation, according to a press release by the Egyptian presidency.
Egypt frustrated as Britain continues suspension of flights Egypt expressed frustration on Saturday at Britain`s refusal to lift a suspension of flights from the United Kingdom to the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, imposed after ISIS brought down a Russian airliner in 2015.
Haftar and Sarraj in Cairo: The details of Egypt’s partially successful Libyan summit While Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar and the head of the Government of National Accord Fayez al-Sarraj did travel to Cairo last week to work toward a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Libya, Egypt had to exert significant effort to ensure the meeting even occurred, according to a source in the Egyptian government close to the matter.
EU pushes migration talks with Tunisia, Egypt The European Union is offering simplified visa procedures and increased economic aid to Tunisia and Egypt in exchange for smoother deportations of unwanted African migrants, two senior officials in Brussels said.
Lionel Messi arrives in Egypt for medical tourism campaign Following two postponements of his visit, Argentinian football star Lionel Messi arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for a medical tourism campaign aimed at promoting awareness of Hepatitis C, a virus which Egypt has one of the highest infection rates of worldwide.
Seeking to secure Sinai, Egypt builds closer ties with Hamas After years of strained relations, Egypt is moving closer to Hamas in Gaza, offering concessions on trade and free movement in return for moves to secure the border against Islamic State fighters who have killed hundreds of Egyptian policemen and soldiers in northern Sinai.
`Resettling of Palestinians` in Sinai has never been on the table: Egypt`s presidency For the second time in days, Egyptian officials slam media reports that Cairo was part to any discussion on `resettling Palestinians` on sovereign Egyptian land, insisting Egypt supports a two-state solution along ‘67 borders
Sudanese authorities arrest 13 Egyptians said to be Muslim Brotherhood members Sudanese security forces arrested thirteen Egyptians they claim are members of the Muslim Brotherhood during raids on the residential quarters of foreigners living in Khartoum over the last few days.
Egypt`s Al-Azhar, Vatican resume dialogue sessions after 7-year hiatus Egypt`s Al-Azhar and the Vatican have resumed dialogue sessions in Cairo — focused in particular on combining efforts to combat religious extremism and terrorism — for the first time since the sessions were halted in 2010.
Arabic
الفُقرا ومشاكلهم والحل الرباني Egypt’s economy continues to suffer from intractable imbalances, which made it a permanent client of IMF for the past four decades.
«بالفيديو| والدة «قتيل العطارين» تروي تفاصيل القبض عليه: حضنت الضابط وقلت له ونبي ما تضربه قال اسكتي يا ولية.. «هو الغلبان تدوسوا عليه The family of Mahmoud Shehata, who was killed in al-Attarin police station, accuses the police of torturing their son to death.
التعليم العالي» تُعدل اللائحة الطلابية بعيدًا عن الطلاب« Student Union leaders criticize the Higher Education Ministry for not disclosing information on the regulation of student government.
في الذكرى الثانية لحكم «الشورى».. بيان لأسرة علاء عبد الفتاح عن الانتهاكات والتعنت في محبسه: شاركونا آخر أخباره The family of the prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah issued a statement on the second anniversary of Shura Council incident verdict, which handed Abdel Fattah a five-year prison sentence and a one hundred Egyptian pound fine.
مسؤول كنسي: نزوح جماعي لمسيحيين من العريش بعد موجة هجمات Ninety Christian families have fled Al-Arish city following the repeated attacks led by Islamic militants targeting Christians in Sinai.
المركزي: 25% زيادة في أعداد السياح الوافدين لمصر في ديسمبر The Central Bank reported an increase in tourist numbers by twenty five percent during last December compared to the month before.
انتخابات نقابة الصحفيين.. قارب الغرق أم طوق النجاة؟ Press Syndicate elections are deemed to be of a paramount importance as the first elections that come amid heightened tension between state authorities and journalists in the wake of security forces’ storming of the syndicate headquarter and the trial of its head and board members
القاهرة:حملة اعتقالات ضد الاخوان تشمل القيادي محمد المرسي Muslim Brotherhood sources said on Thursday that a number of leading Brotherhood members were arrested by the security forces, including member of the Guidance Bureau, Mohammed Abdel Rahman al-Morsi.
نواب غاضبون من دور الحكومة في سيناء.. غطاس: عجز عن حماية الأقليات وجاد: أين الجيش والشرطة والحريري: على دفاع البرلمان مناقشة هذه الكارثة Parliament members criticize the government’s failure to fight terrorism in Sinai and protect its Christian residents.
بورصة «خراب البيوت» في أسبوع: ارتفاع 80% في السلع الغذائية.. وتراجع في الدولار وتباين في أسعار الذهب Food commodity prices have increased by eighty percent during the past week.
تجديد حبس الضابط المتهم بقتل سائق توك توك المنوفية 15 يومًا Shabin al-Kum Court renews the detention of the police officer accused of killing a tuk-tuk driver for fifteen days.