[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
Egypt military court sentences 168 to life over terrorism charges
A military court sentenced on Tuesday 168 defendants to life in prison (twenty-five years per Egyptian penal code) for forming forty-three cells affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group and planning a number of terror attacks across the country.
Egyptian leftist MPs to form opposition bloc in new parliament
Ahmed El-Sharkawi, an independent MP, revealed in an interview with parliamentary reporters on Monday that leftist MPs are currently holding intensive internal talks to form an opposition bloc in Egypt's newly elected parliament.
Behind the scenes of the EIPR crisis
A single security official was behind the decision to arrest three staff members at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights in mid-November, multiple security and government officials tell Mada Masr, which triggered an eighteen-day saga of international condemnation, diplomatic intervention and internal discussions within the Egyptian government that ended with the detained staff walking free.
Egyptian prosecution doubles down on dismissal of Italian Regeni investigation
Italy and Egypt exchanged strongly-worded statements regarding the Italian investigation into the 2016 murder of Italian graduate student Giulio Regeni on Wednesday, with the Egyptian prosecution suggesting the ongoing Italian investigation is politically motivated and urging investigators to clear the four security agents whom they plan to charge. The Italian Foreign Ministry called Egypt’s statement “unacceptable” in a response on Wednesday night.
Ahmed Bassam Zaki receives harshest possible sentence in online harassment trial
A Cairo economic court convicted Ahmed Bassam Zaki on Tuesday of misusing social media to harass two plaintiffs and sentenced him to three years in prison with hard labor.
A Witness to Nothing: How Seif Bedour Became Entangled in the Fairmont Case
Seif, however, is one of three people who remained in police custody pending investigations into the Fairmont Crime despite having been just fourteen years old when the incident took place and having nothing to contribute to the prosecution’s case, according to his family.
Cairo court sentences two Bulaq district officials to five years over fraudulence charges
A Cairo criminal court sentenced on Monday an assistant head of Cairo’s Bulaq district and another employee to five years in prison for fraud and forgery.
Egypt extends deadline for reconciliation over building violations until end-March
The Egyptian cabinet has extended on Thursday the deadline for reconciliation over building violations until the end of March.
Court affirms constitutionality of prison penalty for illegal construction perpetrators
Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled, on Saturday, to reject the lawsuit filed against the unconstitutionality of Articles 38 and 102 of the country’s Building Law.
Egypt adopts new regulations for city planning, construction
The Egyptian Cabinet approved during a virtual meeting on Monday under Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly a new set of planning and construction rules and requirements in cities.
Foreign Policy
Egypt stresses importance of 'sincere intentions' for reconciliation with Qatar
Egypt stressed on Thursday the importance of “sincerity intentions” to achieve reconciliation between Qatar and the Arab Quartet, as a resolution over the dispute looks imminent.
Egypt lambasts Ethiopia's statements on its internal affairs as 'flagrant transgression'
Egypt slammed on Thursday the statements of Ethiopia’s foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti, made on Tuesday, regarding Cairo’s internal affairs, describing them as a “flagrant transgression.”
GERD talks to resume on Sunday after one-month halt
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are scheduled to resume on Sunday, 3 January after a one-month impasse due to Sudan's withdrawal from the African Union (AU) mediated negotiations.
On Sunday, a senior Egyptian delegation headed by General Intelligence Service Undersecretary Major General Ayman Badie, who also heads Egypt’s Libya committee, met with several key figures in the Government of National Accord in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
Egypt’s Al-Sisi, Sudan’s Al-Burhan discuss regional developments
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi discussed with the Sudan Sovereignty Council’s Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan bilateral relations during a phone call on Saturday.
Egypt’s Sisi receives message from Kuwaiti emir highlighting strong bilateral relations: KUNA
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber sent a message to Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi affirming the strong relations between the two countries, the Kuwaiti official news agency KUNA reported.
Egypt legalises 62 unlicensed churches; total reaches 1,800 churches since 2017
A cabinet committee tasked with legalizing the status of unlicensed Christian places of worship approved on Tuesday the legalization of sixty-two churches and service buildings that had been operating without a permit, the cabinet said in a statement.
Economy
Egypt receives 13 new railway carriages in Russian Transmash deal
Egypt received thirteen new railway carriages at the Port of Alexandria, bringing the total number of railway carriages to 186 as part of a bigger deal between Egypt and Russia to manufacture and supply 1,300 new cars, stated Minister of Transportation Kamel El-Wazir in a cabinet statement on Thursday.
Egypt receives first Italian FREMM Bergamini frigate
Egypt's first Italian FREMM Bergamini frigate has arrived at the Alexandria naval base, announced the Egyptian military spokesperson on Thursday.
Egypt extends real-state tax return submission deadline to end-March
Egypt’s ministry of finance extended the deadline of submitting real-estate tax returns through to the end of March 2021, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced on Tuesday.
Egypt reports respective 17%, 12% decrease in trade deficit, imports
Egypt’s imports shrank twelve percent, between January and November 2020, to about 58.1 billion US dollars compared to 65.82 billion US dollars in the same period of 2019, according to Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea.
Egypt reports 2.55% decrease in manufacturing and extractive industries index in October
Egypt has reported a standard number for its manufacturing and extractive industries, excluding crude oil and petroleum products, of 96.45 during October 2020 (preliminary).
Central Bank of Egypt extends measures to contain COVID-19 repercussions until June 2021
The Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) Board of Directors has decided to extend, for six months, some of its decisions taken to combat the repercussions of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Banque Misr receives €425 mln from EIB to support Egyptian SMEs amid coronavirus crisis
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided Egypt’s Banque Misr with a 425 million euros credit line to support local private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, EIB stated on Thursday.
Domestic Security
Egypt approves emergency use of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine; vaccination to begin in January
Egypt has approved the emergency use of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine on Saturday, as the country looks to boost its supply of coronavirus vaccines amid a spike in daily infections in the overpopulous country.
Egypt cancels in-class education, postpones first-term exams amid coronavirus concerns
The Egyptian cabinet postponed on Thursday first-term exams in schools and universities to be held in person after the end of the mid-year vacation to mitigate against the impact of a second wave of the coronavirus.
Arabic
A video from al-Husseineya hospital where a number of COVID-19 patients died due to lack of oxygen went viral on social media, sparking a public outcry.
أول تعليق من «الصحة» على أحداث مستشفيي الحسينية المركزي وزفتى العام
The Minister of Health and Population denied allegations that the deaths caused by a lack of oxygen at al-Husseineya intensive care unit treating COVID-19 patients.
Cairo Criminal Court renewed the detention of researcher Ibrahim Ezzeddine over a new case, just five days after ordered released.
The Bread and Freedom party called on the authorities to release lawyer Hisham Selim and other prisoners of conscience.
الأكفان أفضل من التشريد: اعتصام عمال "سماد طلخا" يبدأ شهره الثاني
Samad Talkha workers continue their sit-in to protest the closure of the factory.
من القطن إلى البطاطس: الزراعة في الفراغ
AlManassa examines the impact of COVID-19 on Egypt’s agricultural sector.