[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
Egyptian media outlets provide contradictory information about Afroto’s death Following the death of twenty-two-year-old painter Mohamed Abdel Hakim Mahmoud, known as Afroto, at the Moqattam Police Station, Egyptian media outlets have offered a number of explanations for what may have happened in the two hours between when Afroto was arrested and when he died.
Egypt parliament's human rights committee to supervise NGOs monitoring presidential elections Alaa Abed, head of the Egyptian parliament's human rights committee, said in a statement on Saturday that the committee will supervise the performance of nongovernmental and civil society organizations participating in the monitoring of Egypt's presidential elections, which are scheduled for March.
Egypt's elections authority sets cap of EGP 20 million for campaign financing in presidential elections Egypt's National Elections Authority has set a cap of twenty million LE on campaign financing for each candidate running in the country's upcoming presidential elections, which are set for 26-28 March.
Sisi announces he will stand for 2nd term in 2018 election President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Friday that he will stand for reelection in Egypt’s 2018 presidential election, in which voters are scheduled to go to the polls in March.
The women endorsing Sisi for president Egyptians have flocked to Authority of Real Estate Proclamation and Notarization offices, which are responsible for accepting candidate endorsements, to submit forms supporting different presidential candidates, most notably President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who announced he would run for a second term on 19 January.
Who in Parliament hasn’t endorsed Sisi? The day after the National Elections Authority announced the timeline for Egypt’s upcoming presidential elections earlier this month, 516 members of Parliament signed endorsements for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to run for a second term, leaving only seventy-nine members Parliament who didn’t.
Sadat withdraws from presidential race citing fear for safety of his supporters Despite widespread expectations that leader of the Reform and Development Party Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat would announce his candidacy in Egypt’s upcoming elections, the former member of Parliament announced his withdrawal from the race during a press conference on Monday.
Former Egyptian presidential candidate Sabahi signs endorsement for Khaled Ali's presidential candidacy Former presidential candidate and leftist figure Hamdeen Sabahi has signed an election endorsement in favor of lawyer and labor activist Khaled Ali, supporting his bid to run in Egypt's upcoming presidential elections, Ali's campaign said in a brief statement on Sunday.
Anan enters Egypt's presidential race amid unanswered questions It is a week since former military chief of staff Sami Anan announced his intention to stand in the presidential election. The news should have qualified as a bombshell: Anan, who until 2012 was the second most senior military figure in Egypt, has a forty-five-year history of military service, including sixteen years in the upper echelons of the Air Force and seven years as army chief of staff. As such he would be a serious rival against President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi.
Egypt's cabinet designates 25 January a national holiday to mark revolution anniversary, police day Egypt's cabinet has designated next Thursday, 25 January, a national holiday to mark the seventh anniversary of the 2011 revolution and Egypt's Police Day.
Closing up shop: Will courtroom press coverage continue under new criminal amendment? Figures from previous regimes, political dissidents, people allegedly involved in terrorism cases: a wide range of actors have passed through Egypt’s courtrooms since the January 2011 revolution, and journalists have been there to make sure the wider public is as aware as possible of these cases.
Media spotlight: Off with their heads! Can we debate capital punishment morally and politically?
Alexandria prosecution detains 10 suspected of homosexuality Alexandria’s Dekhelia prosecution has ordered the detention of ten people for four days, pending investigation into drug charges and debauchery charges, which are commonly used to prosecute people authorities claim are LGBTQ, according to lawyer Hamdy Khalaf.
Court throws out acquittal of 26 Ultras White Knights, orders retrial The Court of Cassation vacated the acquittal of twenty-six Zamalek Club football fans on Tuesday, and ordered a retrial in relation to a 2013 protest against the arrest of other ultras, according to lawyer Mohamed Rashwan.
Court upholds death sentences for 3 defendants charged with killing Giza assistant security director The Court of Cassation upheld death sentences issued against three defendants accused of killing the assistant security director of the Giza Governorate, Lieutenant Nabil Farrag, in 2013.
Military court sentences 8 to death for murder of police colonel A military court sentenced eight people to death on Wednesday, charged with the 2015 murder of Police Colonel Wael Tahoun. Sixteen others were handed life sentences, and 10 of the defendants were sentenced in absentia.
Endowments ministry taking steps to protect Egypt from 'atheist, heretical and extremist ideas': Minister In a statement before parliament’s religious affairs committee on Monday evening, Egypt’s Minister of Religious Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa said his ministry is taking steps on all fronts to make Egypt immune to "atheist, heretical and extremist ideas and to contain the spread of atheism in Egypt.
Economy
What improvements could require a 300% hike in metro fares? Cairo’s metro is spared the usual congestion on Saturday mornings. The pace is slower and people are willing to talk about the future of the service that is a vital part of Cairo’s public transportation network.
Sisi highlights progress made in infrastructure projects, energy production over past four years During the second day of the 'Story of a Nation' event in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi continued with presenting a balance sheet of the achievements made by his administration over the past four years, stressing the progress in improving infrastructure and energy production.
President Sisi inaugurates major projects in Upper Egypt's Beni Suef Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a number of development projects in Upper Egypt and nationwide via video conference on Sunday, in a public event during his visit to Beni Suef governorate.
Foreign Relations
Sisi, Pence discuss bilateral relations, regional developments and Trump's Jerusalem decision Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi told US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday that only negotiations based on a two-state solution can end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, six weeks after President Donald Trump's announcement that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital
To US VP Pence: Defend the rights of Christians and all Egyptians United States Vice President Mike Pence, who canceled his visit to the Middle East in December amid a firestorm over US President Donald Trump’s announcement about Jerusalem, is due to visit Egypt on 20 January, as part of a trip that will also include visits to Jordan and Israel to address “the shared need to combat terrorism and assist persecuted religious minorities.”
Cambridge defends staff member against accusations of involvement in Regeni death The University of Cambridge has come to the defense of faculty member Maha Abdelrahman following accusations she was involved in the death of her PhD student Giulio Regeni.
Russian state airline to resume flights in late February pending signing of security protocol Russian flag carrier Aeroflot will be able to resume flights between Moscow and Cairo in late February pending the signing of further security protocols Russian state news agency Tass reported on Tuesday.
Ethiopian PM Desalegn arrives in Cairo for talks with Egypt's Sisi on dam; FM Shoukry expresses hope Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for a two-day visit to discuss bilateral cooperation and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, according to Egypt's foreign ministry.
Ethiopia's FM Gebeyehu arrives in Cairo for talks with Egypt's FM Shoukry Ethiopia’s Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu arrived in Cairo early Wednesday from Addis Abba to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry as part of a diplomatic cooperation committee between the two countries.
Egypt sees no time for procrastination in talks with Ethiopia over dam This week Egypt attempted to defuse political tensions with Nile Basin countries. On Monday, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi poured cold water on any suggestion that Cairo would contemplate military action against either Sudan or Ethiopia, saying “Egypt will not fight its brothers.”
Ethiopia leader rejects call for World Bank arbitration in dam dispute with Egypt Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has rejected a call by Egypt for World Bank arbitration in a dispute over a hydroelectric dam Addis Ababa is building along its share of the Nile.
Sisi expresses ‘grave concern’ at close of Ethiopian-Egyptian summit President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed Egypt’s “grave concern” over the stagnation of tripartite Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations at Thursday’s press conference, marking the conclusion of a two-day Egypt-Ethiopian summit that saw Sisi hold direct talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Egypt's Al-Azhar to hold international conference 'in support of Jerusalem' on Wednesday Egypt's Al-Azhar – the world's foremost institution of Sunni Islamic learning – is holding an international conference on Wednesday that will be attended by officials from eighty-six countries to discuss the issue of Jerusalem.
Palestine's Abbas, Al-Azhar grand imam call on Arabs to support Jerusalem in Cairo conference Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayyeb called on Arabs to show support for the Palestinian people during a conference in Cairo on Wednesday on Jerusalem.
Egypt condemns Turkey's military intervention into Syrian Kurdish enclave Afrin Egypt's foreign ministry on Sunday expressed condemnation of Turkey's military intervention in Afrin, a Kurdish-controlled city in Syria's northwest near the Turkish border, saying it constitutes a "fresh violation of Syrian sovereignty."
Domestic Security
Sinai residents brace for major military operation amid heightened security measures Security forces began prohibiting the passage of cars with North Sinai license plates into the Ahmed Hamdy Tunnel, which links Suez to North Sinai, on Monday, as locals report the arrival of new military vehicles and equipment into major North Sinai cities.
Egyptian police kill 'dangerous arms smuggler' in Upper Egypt's Qena governorate Egyptian police forces killed Sunday a "dangerous arms smuggler" during a shootout at a checkpoint in Upper Egypt's Qena governorate, an interior ministry statement said.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Call for Applicants: Funded PhD in Eastern Mediterranean Oil & Gas Geopolitics (Sciences Po Paris, Deadline: 20 April 2018) A three year PhD position is open as part of the Saltgiant project.
An Interview with Amr Hamzawy: Reflections on the Future of Democracy in Egypt and Beyond Like many Egyptians, Amr Hamzawy had to pay a price for speaking out against the military takeover of the country’s nascent democracy. A renowned intellectual and former member of Egypt’s People’s Assembly, he was fortunate to safely leave Egypt for the United States. But according to Hamzawy, Egyptians continue to face a worsening political climate, with over fifty thousand political prisoners and a shrinking space for formal and informal politics.
Statement: Against Saad Eddin Ibrahim’s Visit to Tel Aviv University The following statement was issued in response to Saad Eddin Ibrahim's participation in an academic conference organized and hosted by the Moshe Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University.
بيان: ضد زيارة سعد الدين إبراهيم لجامعة تل أبيب The following statement was issued in response to Saad Eddin Ibrahim's participation in an academic conference organized and hosted by the Moshe Dayan Center of Tel Aviv University.
Arabic
السيسي يقيل رئيس المخابرات: فشل في الملف الفلسطيني وفي الإعلام The president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi removed the head of the General Intelligence Service Khaled Fawzi, according to informed sources.
عمرو الجارحي: حجم الفجوة التمويلية يصل لـ14 مليار دولار في العام المقبل The Minister of Finance estimated that the funding gap will record an amount between twelve and fourteen billion dollars for 2018-2019 fiscal year.
أرشيف ثوري".. 858 ساعة تحفظ ذكرى يناير" A new website named "858 Archive" was launched on Tuesday, documenting the Egyptian revolution in a video of hundreds of hours of footage shot and collected since 2011.
حرية الفكر": صحفيون من القبض العشوائي إلى الحبس طويل اﻷمد" The Egyptian Association of the Freedom of Thought and Expression reported the deteriorated conditions of ten journalists held in prolonged pre-trial detention, raising awareness of the continued abuse of law in Egypt's prisons.
اصدار خاص عن الصحفيين المحبوسين The Association of the Freedom of Thought and Expression issued a special report on imprisoned journalists
مصر واﻹعدام.. نظام يُحقق رقمًا قياسيًا ورقاب تنتظر النجاة Almanassa examines the capital punishment in Sisi's Egypt.
أربعة وزراء جدد في التعديل الوزاري الرابع لحكومة شريف إسماعيل The fourth cabinet reshuffle on Sunday included the replacement of four ministers.
عامان بعد تطبيق قانون الثروة المعدنية: عمال محاجر المنيا ما بين الحبس وغياب الأمان Minya quarry workers struggle daily to cope with difficult operating environment exacerbated by continued negligence from the mineral wealth sector to provide them with health and social insurance.
هكذا ترشح النساء السيسي للرئاسة Mada Masr investigates how women are participating in the endorsement of Sisi for president in return for promises to improve their financial situation.
حكاية وطن».. مؤتمر الإنجازات الخفية» The article examines the state's propaganda on the unrealistic achievements of the regime in the "Story of a Nation" conference.
مراقبة منظمات المجتمع المدني للانتخابات بين الضرورة والتخوين The government seeks to co-opt non-governmental associations for the coming presidential elections, in a bid to lessen international pressures.
محافظات الصعيد.. التنمية المفقودة وسوء الإدارة Governorates of Upper Egypt are still marginalized, failing to achieve development that is missing.
من السكان يتناولون محاصيل ملوثة.. وتجاهل برلماني80% Eighty percent of villages in Egypt are exposed to infected crops, amid the parliament's ignorance.
لا لمحاكمة الصحفيين أمام القضاء العسكري.. منظمات حقوقية تدين إحالة الصحفي إسماعيل الإسكندراني إلى القضاء العسكري Human rights organizations strongly denounced the referral of journalist Ismail Iskandarani to military court.