[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
Government to start vaccinating all prisoners against coronavirus soon: Health minister
Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed announced on Monday that the government will soon start vaccinating all prisoners in Egyptian prisons against COVID-19 across the country soon.
Egypt: No Meaningful Progress on Human Rights Without These #First7Steps
Five leading Egyptian human rights organizations today announced a list of seven necessary, clear, and urgent measures to stop the unprecedented erosion of human rights that Egypt has witnessed over the past years.
Egypt parliament bans recording of court hearings without prior permission
Egypt’s parliament approved on Monday an amendment to Article 186 of the penal code criminalising filming, taking photos or recording court hearings in a criminal case without prior permission from the presiding judge and the approval of the prosecutor-general.
Egypt's parliament lauds efforts to draft strategy for the protection of human rights
Parliament’s Human Rights Committee praised the role of the Supreme Standing Committee for Human Rights in formulating a national draft strategy for the protection of human rights.
The undersigned human rights organizations strongly reject the move by Egyptian authorities to pursue family members of the detainee Abdul Rahman Gamal Al-Shuweikh after their disclosure and official complaint to the Minya Prosecution that he had been subjected to torture and sexual assault in Minya Maximum Security Prison in April 2021.
Egypt's prosecution temporarily closes the Fairmont hotel rape case due to insufficient evidence
Egypt’s Public Prosecution announced on Tuesday that it has temporarily closed the case and investigation into an alleged gang rape at a luxury Cairo hotel in 2014 known as the Fairmont hotel rape case.
Former monk executed, lawyer says family only informed after execution
Wael Tawadros, a former monk who was known as Father Isaiah al-Makary, was executed on Sunday at Damanhour Prison, according to his lawyer, Ihab Sedra. Sedra told Mada Masr that Tawadros’ family are on the way to collect his body, and that they were only informed of the death of Tawadros after the Prisons Authority had carried out the sentence, in violation of legal procedure.
Foreign Policy
Egypt in talks with Palestinian, Israeli sides to reach ceasefire deal, says ambassador
Egyptian Ambassador to the UK Tareq Adel said on Tuesday that Egypt is engaged in intensive talks with the Palestinian and Israeli sides and all the active parties in order to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Egyptian source says Cairo pushing for ceasefire as Netanyahu doubles down on military campaign
Egypt is attempting to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, an official Egyptian political source told Mada Masr on Sunday, adding that regional parties including Jordan and Qatar are involved in these efforts.
Palestinians wounded in Israeli assault on Gaza cross into Egypt for treatment
Palestinians injured in the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip began on Monday to arrive in Egypt for medical treatment via the border crossing at Rafah.
Egypt opens Rafah crossing with Gaza Strip to receive Palestinians injured in Israeli aggression
Egyptian authorities on Sunday opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip and received a number of Palestinians injured in an ongoing Israeli aggression on the coastal enclave, state-run news agency MENA reported.
Tahya Misr Fund opens up donations for Gaza Strip
Egypt's Tahya Misr Fund said on Tuesday it will open up donations at all Egyptian banks, hours after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced an allocation of 500 million US dollars as part of an Egyptian initiative for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the latest Israeli aggression.
Egypt’s Doctors Syndicate issued a statement on Friday in support of the Palestinian people and the ongoing #FreePalestine movement.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Sunday Egypt will spare no effort to reach Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire amid deadly confrontation between Israel and the Palestinians.
Egypt’s FM Shoukry focuses on Palestinian developments in talks with Saudi counterpart
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Saturday the fast changing developments in the Palestinian territories with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan.
Egypt’s FM Shoukry tackles Palestinian crisis with Tunisian counterpart
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Friday with his Tunisian counterpart Othman Jerandi the preparations for the UN Security Council meeting, scheduled for Sunday, to tackle developments in the Palestinian territories, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.
Egypt, Jordan stress necessity of continued efforts for immediate means to end Gaza conflict
The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan discussed on Friday the importance of continued efforts to determine immediate means to stop hostilities in the Gaza Strip as the conflict continued for a fifth day.
Egyptian delegation leaves Tel Aviv after Israel rejects ceasefire in Gaza
An Egyptian delegation - sent to Israel in an attempt to broker an immediate ceasefire in Gaza - left late Thursday after Israel rejected Cairo's mediation efforts for the ceasefire, as escalations mounted in the strip.
Egypt, Russia call on Israel to stop aggression against Gaza
Egypt and Russia called on Israel to stop attacking the Gaza Strip and put an end to the bloodshed on Thursday amid fears of further escalation, after the Israeli government announced its rejection to all de-escalation proposals.
Egypt's president to attend Paris conference on Sudan’s transition, African economies summit
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi headed to France on Sunday to take part in the Paris Conference to support Sudanese transition, and also a summit on financing African economies, which are going to be held on 17 and 18 May respectively.
Egypt would not accept a compromise of water security in GERD dispute, Sisi tells DRC's Tshisekedi
Egypt would not accept a compromise of its water security over ongoing GERD dispute, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi amid ongoing efforts to revive negotiations on the dam with Sudan and Ethiopia.
Egyptian officials: 3 demands for rapprochement with Turkey in ongoing talks
A Turkish delegation arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for the first official meetings between the two countries since Ankara and Cairo broke off relations in the wake of Egypt’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.
Economy
Egypt’s current account deficit jumps to $7.6 bln in 1H of FY2020/21, FDIs fell by 32.3%: CBE
Egypt’s current account deficit climbed to 7.6 billion US dollars in the first half (1H) of the current FY2020/2021 — from July to December 2020 — up from 4.6 billion US dollars in the same half of FY2019/2020 owing to the decline in service balance surplus and the increase in the non-oil trade balance, according to data released by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on Monday.
Egypt slashes one-third of compensation claim to free Ever Given vessel; insurer says still high
UK Club, an insurer of the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March, said on Monday a reduced compensation claim made by the Egyptian authorities for almost 600 million US dollars to free.
Suez Canal starts dredging work to extend double lane
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has started dredging work to extend a second lane that allows for two-way traffic in a southern section of the canal near to where a giant container ship got stuck for six days in March, it said on Saturday.
Egypt's Senate to discuss a new law on sovereign bonds (Sukuk) Monday
The Senate – Egypt's consultative upper house of parliament – is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss a new government-drafted law on Sovereign Bonds (Sukuk).
23 projects implemented in Egypt from 2014 to 2020 financed by EU: Al-Mashat
Twenty-three projects have been implemented in Egypt as part of the European Union’s (EU) cross-border cooperation for the Mediterranean Sea Basin Program (CBC MED) during the 2014-2020 period, said Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat.
Domestic Security
In Sohag, COVID-19 goes rampant
While Health Ministry officials tried to downplay concerns over an escalating situation, hospital officials and medical professionals Mada Masr spoke to from Sohag and neighboring Qena in mid-April presented a more harrowing picture. Sohag Doctors Syndicate member Haitham Mohi Eddin told Mada Masr that the Upper Egypt governorates of Sohag and Qena were witnessing “an unprecedented increase in coronavirus cases and deaths,” with existing facilities reaching full capacity pushing doctors to recommend home quarantine for many patients experiencing severe symptoms.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights called on the government to take urgent action to double efforts made to provide maximum protection for medical staff, to accurately disclose the numbers of injuries and deaths among all workers in the health sector, and to provide fair financial compensation to their families in gratitude for their exceptional sacrifices at an exceptional moment.
Egypt receives over 1.7 million doses of AstraZeneca, 500,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines
Egypt said on Thursday that it has received more than 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca and 500,000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines, bringing the country’s supply of various vaccines administered in the overpopulous country to over five million.
Arabic
المبادرة المصرية تقاضي وزيري الصحة والداخلية لإتاحة اللقاح للسجناء والمحبوسين احتياطيًا
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights filed a lawsuit against the ministers of health and interior, demanding the authorities to allocate coronavirus vaccines to prisoners.
بعد 18 شهرًا: إخلاء سبيل الناشط العمالي خليل رزق بتدابير احترازية
Cairo Criminal Court ordered released labor activist Khalil Rezq under precautionary measures in case No. 1475 of 2019.
منظمات حقوقية تدين منع الرعاية الصحية عن المحامي الحقوقي محمد رمضان في سجن طرة وتطالب بإخلاء سبيله
Rights organizations condemned denial of healthcare to lawyer and activist Mohamed Ramadan who has been in pretrial detention since 2018 in case No. 467 of 2020.
بالأرقام.. محامون: “أمن الدولة” تخلي سبيل متهمين في 6 قضايا سياسية لإكمالهم عامين في الحبس الاحتياطي
The Supreme State Security Prosecution released a number of prisoners after serving two-year pretrial detention sentences, according to lawyers.
الجنايات تجدد حبس المحامي محمد حلمي حمدون 45 يوما احتياطيا في اتهامه بنشر أخبار كاذبة
Cairo Criminal Court renewed the detention of lawyer Mohamed Helmy Hamdoun for additional forty-five days in case No. 1530 of 2019, over publishing fake news charges.
#خرجوا_إسماعيل_يدفن_والدته.. وفاة والدة الصحفي السجين إسماعيل الأسكندراني والجنازة اليوم بالاسكندرية
A social media campaign was launched calling for the release of journalist and researcher Ismail al-Iskandarani to allow him to attend his mother's funeral.