[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
Journalist Mohamed Mounir dies after release from prison
Prominent journalist Mohamed Mounir died of complications from COVID-19 on Monday, according to his daughter, eleven days after being released from prison, where he had been held in remand detention.
Egypt’s Silent Victims: Man Accused of Rape, Harassment by 50+ Women Exposes Rape Culture
On the morning of Wednesday 1 July 2020, posts started appearing on social media accusing an Egyptian man in his twenties of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. By nighttime, that man had been accused by more than fifty Egyptian and foreign women of numerous sexual crimes, the failures of institutions were exposed, and two hashtags related to the allegations were the top trending in Egypt.
Ahmed Bassam Zaki’s charges highlight flaws in penal code
Zaki’s sentence may ultimately come down to the judge’s interpretation of the facts of the case under articles pertaining to sexual assault in the penal code that have come under fire for being vague and insufficient to address sexual assault.
Egypt cabinet approves bill to keep identities of sexual assault victims confidential
Egypt’s cabinet approved on Wednesday a bill proposed by the justice ministry to keep the identity of victims of sexual assault and harassment confidential.
Privilege and Suffering: Intersectionality as a Tool to Understand Women’s Struggles in Egypt
Egyptian women are engaged in endless battles that surface on all levels of society: from a wave of arrests of young women on TikTok to constant discussion around the dangers of sexual harassment in its various forms, one cannot help but think that to be a woman in Egypt means constantly fighting to survive in a system seemingly designed to break you.
Egyptian Cleric vs Social Media: Misogynistic Comments Against Women’s Work Slammed Online
On 11 July, controversial Shaykh Abdullah Rushdy released a video on social media promoting discriminatory views on a woman’s right to work, openly stating that, “nothing is being asked from you other than that you finish your education and you return home, because your future is your home to build future generations.”
Egypt arrests doctors, silences critics over virus outbreak
At least ten doctors and six journalists have been arrested since the virus first hit Egypt in February, according to rights groups. Other health workers say they have been warned by administrators to keep quiet or face punishment.
Egypt’s court upholds 15-year sentence for activist Ahmed Douma
Egypt’s Court of Cassation upheld on Saturday a 2019 criminal court sentence to send activist Ahmed Douma to fifteen years in prison in addition to fining him six million Egyptian pounds in a retrial on violence charges dating back to 2011.
Egypt's top appeals court upholds life sentences for Brotherhood leaders Badie, El-Shater
Egypt's top appeals court, the Court of Cassation, upheld on Thursday the life sentences for the leader of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group Mohamed Badie and his deputy Khairat al-Shater and four others over violence ahead of the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Egypt court upholds prison terms for Muslim Brotherhood members in 'Ittihadeya case'
The Egyptian Court of Cassation turned down on Saturday an appeal by Muslim Brotherhood member Mahmoud Makawi Afifi, upholding a twenty-year prison sentence by a criminal court over Afifi’s involvement in violence that took place in the “Ittihadeya incidents” of 2012.
Egypt court sentences worker to 15 years in prison for sexual assault
An Upper Egypt criminal court handed on Saturday a fifteen-year imprisonment sentence to a man for "sexually assaulting" a woman in the conservative governorate of Qena.
Egypt’s House of Representatives approved in a plenary session on Monday morning a legislative amendment that prohibits army officers from running in general elections (presidential, parliamentary, and municipal) without acquiring the approval of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF).
Egypt's Court of Cassation upholds death penalty for 3 defendants in Ansar Al-Sharia case
Egypt’s Court of Cassation upheld on Wednesday death sentences against three defendants convicted on terrorism-related charges in the 2014 case known in the media as the Ansar al-Sharia case.
Egypt's Court of Cassation upholds prison sentences for 56 convicted in 2013 Nahda dispersal case
Egypt’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest appeals court, has upheld prison terms against fifty-six people convicted of committing various violent offenses during the dispersal of a 2013 Giza sit-in by supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt's Sisi ratifies laws governing legislative elections, including law on Senate
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified Thursday four laws governing legislative elections, including a law on the formation of the Senate, the country’s new upper house of parliament.
Egypt's Court of Cassation postpones appeal of Mubarak strongman Safwat El-Sherif
Egypt's Court of Cassation on Tuesday postponed the hearing of an appeal against a three-year-jail term by Mubarak-era politician Safwat al-Sherif for an illicit gains conviction until 15 September.
Parliament committee approves 3 laws to contain economic impact of coronavirus
The Egyptian parliament's budget committee approved on Wednesday three government-drafted laws aiming to mitigate the negative economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state coffers.
Heads of Egypt's press and media bodies sworn in before parliament
The newly-appointed heads of Egypt's press and media organizations were sworn in before parliament on Sunday.
Egypt's Court of Cassation postpones appeal of Mubarak strongman Safwat El-Sherif
Egypt's Court of Cassation on Tuesday postponed the hearing of an appeal against a three-year jail term by Mubarak-era politician Safwat al-Sherif for illicit gains conviction until 15 September.
Death or jail: Egypt's medics battle Covid-19 and state persecution
Egyptian healthcare workers find themselves in a precarious position, with many forced to choose between risking their lives in the fight against COVID-19 and being arrested for voicing safety concerns or criticising the government's handling of the public health crisis.
Egypt's Mostaqbal Watan Party to field candidates for all available Senate seats
Egypt's Mostaqbal Watan (the Future of the Homeland) party announced that it will contest all seats up for grabs in the country's Senate elections, which are due to be held on 11 and 12 August.
Egyptian political party Homat Watan withdraws from Mostaqbal Watan Senate election list
Egyptian political party Homat Watan (Protectors of the Homeland) decided not to participate in the Mostaqbal Watan (Future of the Homeland) list for the upcoming Senate elections, in protest of the allocation of less than eight spots on the list to their party.
Egypt demolishes thousands of illegal buildings in 3 months
Egypt has referred around six thousand building violations to the military prosecution and removed thousands of unlicensed buildings over the past three months, part of government crackdown on illegal construction across the country, the cabinet said in a statement.
Foreign Policy
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that Egypt will not allow militias to threaten its security.
GERD talks still lack technical, legal agreement: Egypt's irrigation ministry
The Egyptian irrigation ministry said on Friday evening that fundamental differences over the technical and legal aspects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) are still in place between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
Egyptian GERD negotiation team discuss concerns with observers and experts
Egypt’s team of irrigation experts who are taking part in the bilateral talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance held an online meeting on Sunday with the talks’ observers and experts to explain the Egyptian position and Egypt’s concerns concerning the filling and operations of the mega-dam, the irrigation ministry said.
Egypt's irrigation ministry: Tenth day of GERD talks see continued disagreements
For the tenth day in a row, negotiations on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan took place without reaching an agreement, the Egyptian irrigation ministry said.
Egypt appoints new ambassadors to several countries, including US
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ratified the appointment of new ambassadors to several foreign capitals, including Washington, local media reported on Monday.
Egypt condemns Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia, stresses full solidarity with the kingdom
Egypt strongly condemned on Monday drone and ballistic missile attacks by Yemeni Houthi militias on Saudi Arabia.
Economy
Egypt's aviation sector lost around EGP 1 bln monthly during flight suspension: Official
Egypt's aviation sector lost up to one billion Egyptian pounds monthly since March on the back of the three-month flight suspension due to the coronavirus, the deputy civil aviation minister told local television on Thursday.
Egypt stresses to Italy its 'serious desire' to solve Regeni murder
Egypt’s prosecutor-general has stressed to his Italian counterpart his country’s serious desire to “get to the truth” behind the 2016 murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni.
Domestic Security
Mersal: A lifeline for hospital beds in Egypt’s virus fight
Every day, Heba Rashed is inundated with as many as two hundred calls and messages on her mobile phone, starting the moment she wakes up, from Egyptians pleading for help finding a hospital bed during the coronavirus pandemic.
A Week Into Measures Being Lifted, Coronavirus Cases in Egypt Surpass 70,000
Coronavirus cases in Egypt surpassed 70,000 on Thursday with 1,485 new recorded cases and eighty-six new deaths, making it a total of 71, 299 cases. This comes less than a week after the government officially lifted curfew and measurements on 27 June.
Egypt developing 4 vaccines to treat coronavirus patients
Egypt is working to develop four coronavirus vaccines that have been registered by the World Health Organization (WHO) among a list of candidate vaccines in global pre-clinical evaluation, Egypt's higher education minister said on Thursday.
Arabic
من السحل في الشارع إلى نيابة أمن الدولة: كل ما حدث لأسرة سيف/ سويف في 4 أيام
Al-Manassa writes about the struggle that Alaa Abdelfattah’s family has gone through to receive a letter from the jailed activist.
ماذا أخبرتنا الجائحة عن أمننا الغذائي؟ حوار مع نادر نور الدين
Mada Masr interviews Dr. Nader Nour Eddine, professor of agriculture and irrigation at Cairo University and former Minister of Supply, about food security in Egypt amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Journalists mourn the death of their colleague Mohamed Mounir who passed away a few days after he was released from Tora prison.
Aswan Criminal Court acquitted ten defendants in the case known as “Halayel and Daboubiya clashes.”
After twenty-five days of disappearance, human rights defender Ahmed Amasha was seen at the office of the State Security Public Prosecution and was accused of “belonging to an illegal group.”
Workers of the Nile Insulation Materials Company in Alexandria announced an open strike in protest of the company’s neglect of their demands.