[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
Family of prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah beaten outside Tora prison
The family of prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah were beaten and robbed as they gathered outside the notorious Tora prison, a relative said on Monday.
Sanaa Seif arrested upon arrival at prosecutor’s office to file complaint for physical assault
State Security Prosecution imprisoned Sanaa Seif, a film editor and the youngest sister of imprisoned activist and software blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, on Tuesday, and ordered her to be held for fifteen days in remand detention on charges of incitement of terrorist crimes, spreading false news, and misuse of social media to incite terrorist ideas, according to lawyer Khaled Ali. She is being detained in Qanater Prison.
Egypt prosecution says activist Sanaa Seif's arrest was in accordance with warrant
Egyptian activist Sanaa Seif was detained on Tuesday after the public prosecution issued a warrant for her arrest based on investigations by the national security apparatus, which revealed that she was “spreading false news and rumors” on social media, the prosecutor-general’s office said.
Nora Younis, chief editor of Al-Manassa, detained after raid on office
Nora Younis, the chief editor of news outlet al-Manassa, was detained on Wednesday afternoon after security forces raided the office, according to al-Manassa.
Egypt’s Doctors syndicate demands Prime Minister to apologize over statements against doctors
The Egyptian Doctors Syndicate has demanded Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly apologize for saying that the absence of “a number of doctors” from their posts at hospitals is the reason behind the recent surge in the number of coronavirus fatalities.
Egypt’s Doctors Syndicate calls on govt to postpone high school exams amid coronavirus fears
The Egyptian Doctors Syndicate has demanded the government postpone the “thanaweya amma” high school exams, scheduled to be held starting Sunday, due to the coronavirus.
The undersigned human rights organizations denounce the ongoing security campaign led by Egypt’s Public Prosecution against users of the social media platform Tiktok, as it ignores thousands of reports of torture, enforced disappearance and medical neglect in prisons, and direct media incitement to murder and violence.
Foreign Policy
Egypt’s bet on international pressure yields scant results as GERD talks remain at impasse
With just weeks left before Ethiopia says it will start filling a new mega-dam on the Blue Nile River that would make it Africa’s biggest power exporter, negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan ended on Wednesday without an agreement on several key issues, including legally binding drought mitigation protocols and a dispute resolution mechanism, according to official statements by the three countries.
Egypt urges Arab support for resumption of Ethiopia's GERD talks
Egypt has appealed to all sisterly Arab states to support its moves to resume talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in good faith.
Egypt says UN must stop Ethiopia on dam fill
Egypt wants the United Nations Security Council to “undertake its responsibilities” and prevent Ethiopia from starting to fill its massive, newly built hydroelectric dam on the Nile River next month amid a breakdown in negotiations, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry told The Associated Press on Sunday, accusing Ethiopian officials of stoking antagonism between the countries.
Exclusive: Egypt's letter to UN Security Council on GERD
Following Addis Ababa's announcement that it will move forward with filling the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) even if a deal is not reached, Egypt submitted on Friday a letter to the UN Security Council urging it to intervene in the controversial dam issue.
The head of the eastern Libyan parliament Aguila Saleh said on Wednesday that the Libyan people will request the military intervention of Egypt in Libya if armed militias infiltrate the strategic city of Sirte.
Recent aggression on Libya poses real threat to regional security: Egypt's FM
The recent direct aggression on Libya has led to unprecedented escalation that poses a real threat to regional stability, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Tuesday.
Sisi tells Egypt’s air force to prepare for missions outside borders if necessary
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday instructed Air Force combat units during an army inspection to prepare to carry out missions outside Egypt’s border if necessary.
FMs of Cyprus, Egypt discuss regional developments over telephone
Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry discussed the latest developments in the East Mediterranean region in a telephone call on Sunday 21 June 2020.
Egypt, France discuss developments in Libyan crisis, Ethiopian dam
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian discussed the most recent developments in Libyan hours after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi hinted at the possibility of a direct intervention by the Egyptian army to restore peace in the war-torn country.
Egypt, Russia exchange viewpoints on Libyan crisis
Egypt and Russia exchanged viewpoints on developments in the region, primarily the Libyan crisis, in a phone call on Sunday, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.
Egypt ‘strongly condemns' Turkish, Iranian military interventions in Iraq
Egypt has condemned Turkish and Iranian military interventions in northern Iraq “in the strongest terms,” describing them as a continuation of “repeated violations” against the country.
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio sent a letter to Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry on Wednesday to request the legal residences of five Egyptian security officials suspected of involvement in the 2016 murder of doctoral student Giulio Regeni in order to inform them of their indictment, according to La Repubblica.
Economy
Egypt will not impose new taxes on commodities, Internet under VAT law amendments: Finance minister
The batch of amendments to the value-added tax (VAT) law does not include new taxes on commodities bought online or purchased through traditional media, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said in a statement on Wednesday.
Egypt's PM reviews incentives for public servants to be relocated to New Administrative Capital
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired on Monday a meeting to review incentives to be provided for public servants, who will be relocated to the New Administrative Capital.
Egypt discovers new crude oil field in Gulf of Suez
Egypt has made a new shallow-water oil discovery in the Gisum offshore concession in the southern part of the Gulf of Suez, with an initial production of two thousand barrels of crude oil per day, the Oil Ministry said on Thursday.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy moved to freeze electricity prices for the industrial sector for the next five years, a decision that is expected to severely harm the renewable energy sector in Egypt.
IMF urged to delay $5.2bn loan to Egypt over ‘corruption risk’
A number of human rights and good governance groups urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday to delay a vote on a 5.2bn US dollar loan to Egypt, citing concerns about corruption and poor governance.
Half of Egyptian families borrow to make ends meet due to coronavirus: CAPMAS
The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said in a study published on Saturday that about half of the Egyptian families borrow from others to counter the effects of the coronavirus.
Domestic Security
Egypt reports 1,332 new cases of coronavirus, 87 new fatalities
Egypt reported 1.332 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, giving a total tally of 58,141 infections.
Egypt's Eva Pharma begins manufacturing of COVID-19 drug approved by Russia
Egyptian drugmaker Eva Pharma said it has begun manufacturing antiviral treatment Avipiravir, which has proved effective in treating COVID-19 patients in Russia amid ongoing trials of the same drug in Japan and other countries.
Egypt's quarantine hospitals at 59% occupancy rate, ICUs at 71%: Minister
Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Tuesday that the occupancy rate in the designated coronavirus quarantine hospitals nationwide stands at fifty-nine percent, while the rate in intensive care units (ICUs) is seventy-one percent.
Egypt to reopen restaurants and places of worship, lift curfew from Saturday
Egypt will reopen restaurants, sporting clubs, and places of worship and will abolish a nighttime curfew imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus starting Saturday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and a cabinet spokesman said on Tuesday.
COVID-19 measures collapse as thousands flock for Thanaweya Amma exams
Precautionary measures to protect high school students from the coronavirus during the thanaweya amma exams collapsed on the very first day, as thousands of students flocked to examination committees at schools across the country on Sunday.
From Jadaliyya
Engaging Books Series: AUC Press Selection on Cairo Architecture
Engaging Books features a selection from the American University in Cairo University Press on the theme of Cairo architecture.
Arabic
Human rights organizations condemn the series of violations against the family of arbitrarily detained activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, the latest of which was the arrest of his sister Sanaa Seif on Tuesday afternoon, 23 June.
«كورونا» في شمال سيناء: خوف واستهتار مع زيادة الإصابات.. والمحافظ:«متوقَع وغير مزعج»
North Sinai governorate records an increasing number of coronavirus cases over the past weeks, raising concerns over failure to properly enforce the preventive measures during thanaweya amma exams.
العالقون في الخليج.. العمالة المصرية في زمن الأزمة
The article examines how the Egyptian state is planning to integrate Egyptians returning from the Gulf into national projects amid the coronavirus crisis.