[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.]
New Journalists Syndicate campaign declares `journalism is not a crime` The Journalists Syndicate plans to launch a campaign next Wednesday demanding medical care for imprisoned media professionals — if not their immediate release — under the slogan, “We will medically treat them and release them; journalism is not a crime.”
Ministry uses Friday sermon to warn against January 25 protests Egypt’s Endowments Ministry declared sermons nationwide this Friday will focus on “destructive calls” to destabilize the country and spread sedition, referring indirectly to calls for anti-government protests on the upcoming fifth anniversary of the January 25 revolution.
LE50,000 for foreigners to marry Egyptian women 25 years younger Foreigners seeking to marry Egyptian women twenty-five years or more younger than them are now required to buy LE50,000 of investment certificates, the Justice Ministry decreed on Tuesday.
New wave of labor strikes across Suez Canal, Nile Delta, Assiut A new wave of labor unrest has swept Egypt over the past two days as several thousand workers commenced industrial action. Demands include higher wages, workplace parity, the enforcement of judicial verdicts, the reinstatement of sacked employees and the payment of overdue bonuses.
Mubarak features on Transparency International `grand corruption` list Hosni Mubarak can be elected in an “Unmask the Corrupt” campaign, which asks ordinary people worldwide to vote to “highlight the most symbolic cases of grand corruption.” The campaign’s voting phase was launched Wednesday by Transparency International to mark International Anti-Corruption Day.
As Foreign Ministry celebrates Human Rights Day, local groups decry torture, murder in police stations Egypt is fully committed to the International Declaration of Human Rights, the Foreign Affairs Ministry pronounced in a statement issued Thursday to mark International Human Rights Day. But local rights organizations countered with a statement and press conference of their own lambasting security forces for committing grave, and often deadly, human rights abuses.
Journalist Ismail Alexandrani`s pretrial detention renewed another 15 days Journalist and sociopolitical researcher Ismail Alexandrani has been remanded in custody for another fifteen days pending investigations into charges of belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood and disseminating false information, his lawyers said Thursday.
Egypt strikes prisoner exchange deal with Israel, releases Ouda Suleiman Tarabin Egypt released an Israeli citizen imprisoned on espionage charges in exchange for the release of two Egyptian prisoners in Israel, while four other Egyptians are also awaiting their freedom from Israeli prisons as part of the deal, Israeli media outlets reported Friday.
Egypt procures new submarines from Germany as military spending spree continues Egypt has received the first of four German military submarines commissioned for the Navy, the first of which was launched on Thursday.
Novelists defend Ahmed Naji and editor in court, trial adjourned to January 2 The trial of novelist Ahmed Naji and chief editor of Akhbar al-Adab Tarek al-Taher was adjourned until 2 January for a final verdict, the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE) reported Saturday.
Update: Trial of Shawkan, 738 others adjourned till February 6 The trial of photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid (known as Shawkan) and 738 others in the Rabea sit-in case was adjourned to 6 February to give the court time to prepare a larger room to accommodate all of the defendants.
2 police officers sentenced to 5 years for torturing lawyer to death Cairo Criminal Court sentenced two National Security officers to five years in prison on Saturday for torturing lawyer Karim Hamdy to death.
Amnesty demands release of minor raped, tortured in police custody Human rights organization Amnesty International issued a call on Friday for the release of a fourteen year-old boy who was reportedly beaten, tortured and raped with a wooden stick while in police custody.
5 protesters sentenced to 2 years for commemorating Mohamed Mahmoud Abdeen Misdemeanor Court sentenced five people to two years in prison on Sunday for participating in a silent protest on the fourth anniversary of the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes without a permit.
Talkshow host Entisar stands trial for promoting pornography The trial of actress and television anchor Entisar for "promoting pornography," which has raised questions regarding freedom of expression and the protection of public morality, commenced on Sunday at Nasr City Criminal Court.
The notorious judge and the statements he never made After his interview with Al-Watan on Saturday was ridiculed on social media, notorious judge Mohamed Nagy Shehata retracted his comments, implying the interview was fabricated and instigating a war of rhetoric between him and the privately owned newspaper.
I am talking about all of us: A letter from prison Islam Khalil narrates his forcible disappearance, 200 days in pretrial detention.
Arab media: Fall in line or switch off “Most top Arab television presenters and journalists are remarkably candid these days about their survival kit: hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil,” writes Rana Sabbagh.
Families demand warm clothes, better conditions for Aqrab Prison detainees The families of hundreds of detainees at the maximum security Al-Aqrab Prison continue to complain about deteriorating conditions.
Egypt prosecutors investigate claims of torture in death of man in Alexandria police station Alexandria prosecution opened an investigation Monday into the Sunday death of a twenty-two-year-old man inside a police station after human rights lawyers filed a report against officers at the station, accusing them of torturing the man to death.
Formation of pro-Sisi majority bloc underway in Egypt parliament Negotiations are underway to form a bloc of 400 MPs to back Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi`s policies in parliament.
Egyptian ministries make little progress on making information available to public: Report The finance ministry came first among Egyptian ministries in terms of citizens ability to access information access; the ministries of higher education and scientific research scored the lowest.
Germany asks Egypt to explain journalist Alexandrani arrest Berlin has asked Cairo to explain why prominent Egyptian journalist Ismail Alexandrani was arrested on his return from Germany last month, AFP learnt Thursday.
Egyptian police officer sentenced to 5 years for beating man to death in Beheira Damanhour Criminal Court sentenced on Thursday a police officer to five years in prison for beating a citizen to death in May at a police station in Beheira governorate.
Amnesty condemns 800-day detention of Egyptian photojournalist Shawkan, demands release Amnesty International said Egypt`s continued detention of photojournalist Shawkan "exposes the rank hypocrisy behind [the authorities`] claim to uphold press freedom".
Free Egyptians Party refuses to join pro-Sisi parliamentary bloc The party says it does not know the aims of the new majority bloc currently being formed.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan to hold more Nile dam talks on 27,28 December A new round of talks on Ethiopia`s under-construction Grand Renaissance Dam will take place on 27 and 28 December after Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan failed to reach a final agreement in two days of trilateral talks this weekend.
Egypt terminates four state lawyers for joining pro-Brotherhood movement Egypt`s State Lawsuits Authority has sacked four of its litigators on Saturday, accusing them of joining a pro-Muslim Brotherhood movement.
Statements claiming failure of Ethiopian dam talks `untrue`: Egypt`s irrigation minister Egypt`s irrigation minister Hossam Moghazi said that claims regarding the failure of the latest tripartite meeting over Ethiopia`s Renaissance dam are false.
Egypt court sentences 3 Morsi supporters to death in absentia The verdict can only be appealed if the convicted turn themselves in.
Egypt`s new Parliament: Marriage renewed between NDPs, businessmen The recently-concluded House of Representatives` elections have unveiled phenomena that need in-depth analysis, particularly in relation to the return of financial influence, as well as the reappearance of members from the dissolved, previously-ruling National Democratic Party.
Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated exchange companies confiscated The committee tasked with managing seized Muslim Brotherhood funds, headed by Judge Ezzat Khamis, seized on Wednesday exchange companies belonging to members of the banned group.
MPs express concerns, plans ahead of new parliament Newly elected members of parliament continued procedures for obtaining parliament IDs on Wednesday and Thursday, making statements to Al-Masry Al-Youm about their plans and concerns in the new House of Representatives.
Unease, security intervention mar proposed pro-state Parliament bloc Parliamentarians in the recently-elected, yet-to-convene House of Representatives have expressed doubt toward a proposed pro-state bloc that seeks a majority in the chamber as rumors grow of security interventions obliging MPs to partake in the alliance.
Political expert`s opinion piece withheld for criticizing Parliament A former MP and political expert has said that a third column he wrote for an independent newspaper had been banned for content that is understandably critical of the yet-to-convene House of Representatives.
Govt attempts to pass loans before Parliament starts Radio program host Dina Abdel Fattah has announced that the government has already signed for loans with international institutions before the new Parliament is to convene for the first time.
Rights group requests Parliament pass anti-torture law The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights is demanding that the government and Parliament pass the anti-torture law that it already requested, considering the crime a violation of the most basic human rights, namely the right to life.