[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
States break silence to condemn Egypt’s abuses at UN rights body
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from around the world expressed their strong support today for a joint declaration by UN member states condemning the human rights situation in Egypt which was delivered at the UN Human Rights Council. In the declaration governments expressed “deep concern” for widespread human rights violations committed with impunity by the Egyptian authorities.
MPs slam UNHRC statement on human rights in Egypt as 'politicised', 'full of unfounded claims'
Head of parliament’s Human Rights Committee said Egypt would present its own statement at the UNHRC to respond to all the western countries’ “unfounded claims” about its human rights record.
Egypt's Court of Cassation rejects 1,200 appeals against inclusion in terrorist list
Egypt's Court of Cassation rejected on Thursday the appeals of 1,200 individuals against their inclusion in the country's terrorist list.
Egypt’s prosecution ordered on Sunday the referral of TikTok influencers Haneen Hossam and Mawada Eladhm, alongside others, to the criminal court over “human trafficking” related charges.
Rights groups condemn prosecution’s failure to address complaints of torture in detention
A group of human rights organizations issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the Public Prosecution’s intransigence in investigating allegations of torture and maltreatment inside Egyptian prisons.
Cautious optimism from advocate of women’s inclusion in judicial bodies after presidential order
Speaking to Mada Masr on Tuesday, Gadallah said that while the statement is cause for “cautious optimism,” any change in women’s employment should, by law, come from within the justice system itself rather than being imposed upon it by the executive.
Four detained activists spoke up in court this week to denounce their ill treatment in prison and their indefinite pretrial detention, while their lawyers took steps to protest violations of due process in the justice system.
12 people reported executed in 24 hrs in Alexandria, Damanhour
Egyptian authorities executed twelve prisoners in the last twenty-four hours who had been sentenced to death on murder charges, according to local news reports.
Egypt court upholds 3-year prison sentence for Mubarak-era Minister El-Feky
Egypt's Court of Cassation, the country's highest appeals court, upheld on Thursday a three-year jail sentence against Mubarak-era information minister Anas El-Feky for squandering public money in 2009.
The Kafr al-Dawar textile company: On the road to liquidation
There is a widespread belief among workers that for years, the state’s plans toward the company have been to cause deliberate losses in order to reach a situation that leads to liquidation, not development.
Sisi approves amending law honoring martyrs, victims, missing, injured in terror attacks
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi approved on Saturday Law 4/2021, amending some articles of Law 6/2018 honouring martyrs, victims, missing and injured of war and security operations and terror attacks and their families.
Egyptian Journalists' Syndicate midterm elections postponed to 19 March
Egypt’s Journalists' Syndicate has postponed its midterm elections to 19 March after the general assembly failed on Friday to meet the necessary quorum to hold the vote over the president and six board seats.
Egypt's Senate to elect leading posts of 14 committees in Monday meeting
The Senate’s Secretary-General Mahmoud Ismail told reporters that the plenary session on Monday comes after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified the Senate’s internal bylaws on 4 March.
Egypt's parliament approves postponing controversial Real Estate Registration Law to 2023
Egypt's parliament – the House of Representatives – voted Tuesday in favor of amending a controversial law on regulating the registration and documentation of real estate property in public notarization offices.
Foreign Policy
Egypt, Sudan agree water is 'a matter of national security'
The water issue is "a matter of national security" for the people of Egypt and Sudan, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Vice-President of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo agreed during a meeting in Khartoum, according to an official statement by the Egyptian presidency.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Saturday the Egyptian-Sudanese rejection of Ethiopia’s announcement to implement the second phase of filling the Ethiopian dam’s (GERD) reservoir even if a binding legal deal is not reached between the three countries.
Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian FMs agree to press on with efforts to revive peace process
Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian foreign ministers have agreed to press on with efforts to create the “opportune” environment to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, calling for “effective” engagement by the international parties in the peace process.
Egypt’s FM stresses to UN Special Envoy for Libya necessity of removing foreign troops, mercenaries
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed on Sunday - to the UN Special Envoy for Libya Ján Kubiš - the necessity of removing foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya, during a meeting in Cairo on developments related to the war-torn country.
Despite sharp rebuke of performance, Arab League renews Aboul Gheit’s term as secretary general
Arab foreign ministers unanimously agreed to renew Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit’s five-year term on Wednesday, according to Egypt’s state-run Middle East News Agency.
Egyptian President Sisi, Greece's PM discuss East Mediterranean cooperation
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in a phone call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday evening a number of regional issues of mutual interest, including energy and East Mediterranean cooperation fields.
Economy
The rise and fall of Egypt’s top pharmaceutical chain
A little over a year ago, a new pharmacy chain became the topic of a national controversy. Named for its hotline, 19011, the pharmacy chain had grown rapidly in a short period of time to become the largest player in the market — yet rumors swirled that the supposedly independent company was in fact backed by the state.
Egypt begins disbursing last tranche of financial aid to irregular workers hit by pandemic
More than 5.3 billion Egyptian pounds has been disbursed to irregular workers since the onset of the pandemic in March, according to numbers provided by Mohamed Maait, the finance minister, last month.
Born in a colonial context that granted privileges to foreign investors amid a building boom in Cairo, the history of Heliopolis, this “ brave new city,” and the colonial business endeavor behind its urban development, is worth revisiting in the present moment.
Domestic Security
Egypt to receive another 300,000 Sinopharm vaccine doses: Health minister
Egypt will receive 300,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccines developed by China’s Sinopharm as a gift, Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Tuesday, without revealing the exact date of their arrival.
1,141 Egyptians receive COVID-19 shot on first day of vaccine rollout for priority groups: Ministry
Around 1,141 citizens have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine since Egypt began its vaccination rollout for priority groups on Thursday, the health ministry announced on Friday.
Arabic
مد أجل الحكم في طعن زياد العليمي ورامي شعث وآخرين على إدراجهم بقوائم الإرهاب إلى 9 يونيو
The Court of Cassation postponed the decision to remove human rights activists Ziyad El-Elaimy and Ramy Shaath among other political prisoners from terrorism list until June 9.
Egyptian labor and rights lawyer Haitham Mohammadein has been rotated into a new case, a day after ordered released on probationary measures, according to Egypt’s Revolutionary Socialists movement.
"عزلة مستمرة": مزيد من انتهاكات حقوق الإنسان والتعتيم على المعلومات في ظل كورونا
The Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression issued a report on the continued violations of human rights in Egypt during 2020.
يوميات صحفية برلمانية| الحقيقة وراء انتقادات مستقبل وطن للحكومة
The article examines the power struggle between the majority party of Mostaqbal Watan and the cabinet.
بالأسماء.. بعد 170 يوما من الحبس: إخلاء سبيل 20 متهما في قضية أحداث 20 سبتمبر بينهم 3 أشقاء
The Supreme State Security Prosecution ordered the release of twenty defendants in Case N. 880 of 2020.
Al-Nadeem and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights called the authorities to immediately release political prisoner Islam Orabi who is in poor health. Orabi has been ordered to be released on February 16, yet he is still detained.
المبادرة المصرية تقيم الدعوى بعدم دستورية تطبيق الشريعة الإسلامية في مواريث المسيحيين
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights filed a petition, demanding amendments to the inheritance law for Coptic Egyptians.
«تنسيقية شباب الأحزاب».. كوادر مطابقة للمواصفات
The article examines how the Egyptian government uses youth coalition as a political tool.