[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
After 2-yr forced disappearance with her child, rights orgs call for release of Manar Aboul Naga
Several human rights organizations called on Monday for the release of Manar Aboul Naga and her husband, both of whom were forcibly disappeared for two years with their infant child before the mother and child appeared before the prosecution in February.
Egyptian activists in US say families facing ramped up pressure
Egyptian rights activists in the United States are accusing the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of targeting their loved ones to pressure them into silence, spurring calls for President Joe Biden to put pressure on Egypt to address its human rights record.
New Draft Personal Status Law Sparks Outrage in Egypt
A draft Personal Status Law, reportedly issued by the Egyptian Cabinet, was published by local media on February 23 and has since sparked widespread controversy and backlash.
Authorities could soon be empowered to confiscate rented property under amendments to the terrorism law and to prosecute landlords for failing to register new tenants’ contracts.
Two Egyptians jailed in underage TikTok influencer's rape case
Egypt’s Economic Court sentenced on Tuesday two people to two years in prison for uploading videos defying public morality.
Egypt’s Public Prosecution Issues Call for Video Evidence of Fairmont Gang Rape Case
In the announcement, released on social media, the prosecution states that investigations into the incident confirmed that a number of individuals have seen video footage of the incident. It went on to add that some of those who have viewed the video or have known about the alleged crime later received threats to keep them from testifying. The prosecution also revealed that some witnesses received screenshots of the video from an anonymous social media account.
Spokesperson for Sisi rival in 2018 presidential race released after 17-month detention
Political science professor Hazem Hosny was released from prison by the State Security Prosecution on Monday after seventeen months in remand detention. According to lawyer Khaled Ali, he has been ordered to remain under house arrest as a condition of his release.
Egypt's State Council rejects lawsuits to postpone Journalists Syndicate midterm vote
Egypt’s State Council rejected on Sunday two lawsuits that sought to stop the Journalists Syndicate midterm elections from being held on 5 March as scheduled.
Legal limbo: Media council again extends deadline for outlets to legalize status
Since the Law Regulating the Press, Media and the Supreme Media Regulatory Council was ratified by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in August 2018, authorities have issued vague and ambiguous decisions regarding the legalization process.
Egypt parliamentary majority Mostaqbal Watan Party to introduce amendment to public notary law
Egypt's parliamentary majority Mostaqbal Watan Party (The Nation's Future) announced in a statement on Friday that it intends to propose amendments to a new controversial law regulating the documentation and registration of real estate property in public notary offices to simplify matters for citizens and ease financial burdens.
Gov't to settle disputes between ministries over leased assets: Egypt PM
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired a ministerial meeting Sunday to end disputes between the ministries on their leased assets.
Foreign Policy
Egypt backs Sudanese proposal to form int'l quartet committee to mediate GERD negotiations: FM
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told a Congolese official on Wednesday that Cairo supports a Sudanese proposal to form an international quartet committee to mediate the stalled negotiations on the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Egypt insists that any accord over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) must preserve its water rights as well as serve the interest of all parties, Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Mohamed Abdel-Aty told Congolese official Alphonse Ntumba, according to an official statement.
Egypt, Qatar delegations meet in Kuwait to discuss future steps after reconciliation agreement
Official delegations from Egypt and Qatar held their first meeting in Kuwait on Tuesday to discuss future steps required to enhance joint work and bilateral ties after the signing of Al-Ula reconciliation agreement last month.
What does Dbaiba’s appointment to head a national unity government in Libya mean for Egypt?
In the lead-up to a vote in Geneva on February 5 slated to appoint a transitional Libyan executive authority after a yearlong deadly war in the capital of Tripoli, Egyptian officials were expressing worry over how volatile they found the political and security situation in their neighbor to the west to be.
The meeting, attended by Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid and US Ambassador to Cairo Jonathan Cohen, addressed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on the military, security and counterterrorism levels, as well as exchanging expertise.
Egypt denounces latest Houthi rebels attacks on Saudi Arabia
Egypt expressed on Sunday "categorical rejection and denunciation of continued terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia against the Saudi territories," the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry has said that the intergovernmental conference on the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) presents an opportunity to critically evaluate the migration situation in the Arab region.
Economy
Egypt’s central bank approves new facilities for MSMEs
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) instructed the banking sector to increase allocations for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) from twenty to twenty-five percent of their credit facilitations, the CBE stated on Monday.
Egypt launches SMEs Business Bot to support sector amid pandemic
Egypt’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, in collaboration with Facebook and Rise Up, announced on Thursday the launch of the ‘SMEs Business Bot’, a platform that aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Egypt is focused on localizing manufacturing and transferring technology in the defense and various related industries, said head of Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) Abdel-Moneim El-Terras on Monday while attending the UAE's International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021).
Domestic Security
Pushed out of south Bir al-Abd and facing tighter security measures in the east of the peninsula, Province of Sinai militants have been on the ropes in recent months.
Egypt approves emergency use of Russian Sputnik V vaccine
The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) announced in a statement on Wednesday that Egypt has approved the emergency use of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, making it the third vaccine to be authorized for use in the country.
More than 45,000 citizens have signed up in a matter of twelve hours on the government website designated for registration to obtain coronavirus vaccines after the site was officially launched on Saturday evening, stated the health ministry.
Egyptians to get coronavirus vaccine at EGP 200; needy categories exempted: Health minister
Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed said coronavirus vaccines will be available for citizens at a cost of no more than two hundred Egyptian pounds (around thirteen US dollars) for a two-dose regimen, with needy families and individuals to be exempt from the charge.
Arabic
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights published Reda Abdel Rahman’s letter from prison, in which he expresses his shock at the charges of “joining ISIS” filed against him. Abdel Rahman was handed a fifteen-day detention renewal order by Kafr Saqr Prosecution.
«موكا» و«التدوير»: قصة حبس بلا نهاية
Activist Abdelrahman Tarek’s detention was renewed for fifteen days over a new trumped-up case.
Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution issued a fifteen-day detention order against journalist and writer Gamal al-Gamal, five days after his arrest at Cairo Airport.
«كفر الدوار للغزل والنسيج».. تطوير أم تصفية؟
Nineteen workers at Egypt's Misr Spinning and Weaving Company were acquitted of“riot” and “unlawful assembly” charges.