[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
Prisons in the time of COVID-19
Security forces arrested rights activist Mona Seif with her mother, academic Laila Soueif, and her aunt, author Ahdaf Soueif, along with political science professor Rabab al-Mahdi and took them to the nearby Qasr al-Nil police station, and from there to the Qasr al-Nil prosecutor’s office, where they were charged with inciting protest and spreading false news.
Six steps the Prison Authority should take immediately in light of the COVID-19 pandemic
As the coronavirus spreads globally, the pandemic raises formidable challenges for prison administrations and governments.
Egypt extends suspension of prison visits until end of March
Egypt's interior ministry has extended a suspension of prison visits nationwide until the end of March, a statement said on Thursday.
Egypt's state security prosecution releases 15 members of political parties pending investigations
Egypt's state security prosecution released on Thursday fifteen members of different political parties and powers pending trial in different cases, legal sources said.
Egypt’s el-Sisi says handling coronavirus crisis ‘transparently’
Egypt‘s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his government is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic with “full transparency” and denied allegations the infection rate is being suppressed.
Egypt frees prominent activist amid calls for prisoner releases due to coronavirus pandemic
Egyptian authorities released a prominent political activist on Friday amid widespread calls for Cairo to let thousands of others go free to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading among the prison population.
Egyptian engineer dies after alleged torture inside security agency HQ
Egyptian security forces have allegedly tortured a man to death inside the National Security Agency headquarters in the Nile Delta city of Menoufia, The New Arab’s Arabic-language service reported on Saturday.
Foreign Policy
Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou stressed the importance of “respecting the norms of international law” during talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, as Cairo and Addis Ababa remain in a tug-of-war of accusations over the dam.
Egypt’s foreign minister in Burundi to seek support on Ethiopian mega-dam dispute
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza to deliver a message from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday, as Cairo attempts to garner international support in its dispute with Addis Ababa over the dam.
Egypt's Sisi, Merkel discuss coronavirus, GERD, Libya
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received a phone call on Thursday from German Chancellor Angela Markel to discuss the latest developments in international efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as well as other regional issues including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the situation in Libya.
Economy
CBE to support EGX with EGP 20 billion: Sisi
Egypt's central bank will allocate twenty billion Egyptian pounds (1.28 billion US dollars) to support the stock exchange during the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in his first speech since the outbreak.
State employees’ salaries available in ATMs as of 24 March: Finance minister
Egypt’s Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Thursday that state employees' salaries will be available in ATM machines as of 24 March.
Ethyl alcohol prices soar in Cairo as supplies disappear from shelves
The increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Egypt has brought with it two problems: the soaring price of disinfectants and the disappearance of ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, from pharmacy shelves.
Egypt Stock Exchange turns green, regains EGP 20 bln of capital market
The Egypt Stock Exchange (EGX) has started to recover, regaining close to twenty billion Egyptian pounds of its capital market losses over the past week amid the global COVID-19 outbreak crisis.
EGP 200 mln financing first phase of COVID-19 countering urgent plan: Planning Minister
Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala al-Saeed approved raising advanced medical supplies allocations in the health ministry’s budget for current FY2019/2020.
Domestic Security
Egypt adopts raft of measures to combat coronavirus spread
Forty additional people have tested positive for COVID-19, and two more people have died due to complications from the virus, the Health Ministry announced on Monday night.
Egypt announces partial curfew, suspends transport over coronavirus concerns
Egypt is imposing a partial curfew from 7 pm to 6 am as of Wednesday morning for two weeks as part of stricter measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Tuesday.
Egypt records highest total coronavirus death toll in one day at 4; total cases reach 327
Egypt's health ministry announced four new coronavirus fatalities on Sunday, the highest death toll in one day since the virus was first detected in the country in February.
Two senior Egyptian military officials have died from the novel coronavirus in recent days amid concerns over President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi‘s response to the pandemic.
Attaba and Mouski squares' street vendors evacuated over coronavirus concerns
Egypt's authorities evacuated thousands of street vendors stationed at Attaba and Mouski squares in Downtown Cairo to curb the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
Egypt's parliament postpones plenary meetings until 12 April amid coronavirus fears
A statement issued by parliament's Secretary-General Mahmoud Fawzi on Monday afternoon said the House's coming plenary meetings will be held on 12 April instead of Sunday 29 March. "The postponement comes in line with state efforts to ban gatherings that might lead to the spread of the coronavirus," said the statement, noting that as "MPs come from different governorates, it has become a necessity that they should not gather in one place."
Egypt redirects funds for free Hajj to aid irregular workers affected by coronavirus
Egypt's Ministry of Endowment said on Monday that it has decided to cancel Hajj (greater pilgrimage) trips that it usually grants its employees every year and redirect the funds to assist Egyptians affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Egypt suspends mass prayers at mosques, shuts down churches to halt spread of coronavirus
Egypt has suspended mass prayers at mosques and shut down churches in an unprecedented move aimed at curbing the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the populous country.
Minister denies reports of illegal immigrants from Italy carrying coronavirus to Egypt
Egypt’s Expatriate Affairs Minister Nabila Makram denied reports that a boat from Italy carrying illegal Egyptian immigrants infected with coronavirus had arrived in Kafr al-Sheikh.
Arabic
رحلة طبيب من «كورونا» إلى التعافي
Mada Masr interviews Dr Ahmed Abdallah, head of the Tuberculosis Department at Damietta Pulmonary Hospital, after his release from the quarantine hospital last Friday.
The article tells the story of a doctor who volunteered to transfer a coronavirus patient when no one else did.
في اليوم العالمي للمياه.. مصر بين التغيرات المناخية والعطش
The article addresses water issues in Egypt amid climate change concerns.
مصر.. غضب بمواقع التواصل عقب نشر تسريب لضابط ينكّل بجثة شاب سيناوي
Video of an army soldier mutilating a man’s corpse in Sinai sparks online anger.
وسط حملات للإفراج عن المعتقلين.. إصابة أول سجين مصري بفيروس كورونا
Authorities confirmed fist case of coronavirus among prisoners