[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
Imprisoned graduate student Ahmed Santawy ends hunger strike after 40 days
Graduate student Ahmed Samir Santawy ended at the start of August a hunger strike that lasted forty days, which he began in protest of a four-year prison sentence he was handed by an emergency court on charges of publishing false news.
ANHRI: Blogger Mohamed Oxygen attempted suicide in detention before Eid al-Adha
In a Sunday statement, ANHRI announced that Ibrahim had attempted suicide, describing it as a result of “maltreatment” on the part of authorities at Section II of Tora Prison Maximum Security Prison, where Ibrahim is held.
Razor manufacturer fires 38 workers after strike
Razor manufacturer Lord for Industry and Trade fired thirty-eight workers who took part in a strike involving some 2,000 workers at the company that began last week and brought production in two out of the company’s three factories to a halt.
Workers launch strike at razor factories demanding new minimum wage rate, right to unionize
Some 2,000 workers at Lord for Industry and Trade, a company specialized in manufacturing razor blades and tools, completed a second day of strike action on Tuesday, calling for increased pay, more stable, long-term contracts and a promise that they will not be punished for labor action.
Human rights lawyer Negad al-Borai and human rights activist and head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information Gamal Eid were questioned by a judge on Tuesday in a long-running case targeting non-governmental organizations accused of receiving foreign funding with the intention of harming national security.
Esraa Abdel Fattah, Mahienour al-Massry among 6 high-profile detainees freed from remand detention
Over the last twenty-four hours, Egyptian authorities have released six high-profile political prisoners who were being held in remand detention, some of them for over two years. Most of those freed were arrested in the fall of 2019, amid the largest arrest sweep of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s time in office following small-scale protests against his rule.
128 people still held in remand despite courts ordering release
Courts ordered the release of 128 defendants held in remand detention at the beginning of this week, but the orders are yet to be implemented by the Public Prosecution, lawyers told Mada Masr.
On July 14, the Court of Cassation rejected the appeals of human rights defenders Zyad Elelaimy, Ramy Shaath, and eleven others regarding their inclusion on the ‘Terrorist List’ for a period of five years, an appalling miscarriage of justice denounced by the signatory human rights organizations as further confirmation of the judiciary’s politicized role as an enactor of reprisals against Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s rivals.
Security personnel prevented the sale of a book of poetry written by imprisoned activist Ahmed Douma during the fifty-second Cairo International Book Fair, which closes on Thursday night.
Egypt releases activists after months in pre-trial detention
Egypt’s investigating authorities have released journalist Gamal El-Gamal, politician Abdel-Nasser Ismail and activist Esraa Abdel-Fattah after months in pre-trial detention over charges that include joining a terrorist group, a statement said.
Egypt's prosecution annuls asset freeze on Mubarak's sons
Egypt’s prosecution annulled the asset freeze on Alaa and Gamal, the sons of late ousted president Hosni Mubarak after being exonerated of charges of illicit gains.
Egypt’s parliament — the House of Representatives — held a two-hour plenary meeting on Monday to take a final vote on a host of six legislations and three foreign agreements.
Parliament approves law expanding powers to dismiss civil servants on terrorist lists
Senior government officials will soon be able to fire employees from the civil service and state-run industries on the basis of their inclusion on government terrorist lists without prior disciplinary action.
Maadi residents' protests against El-Gazaer axis presented in parliament
While Egypt’s road construction boom has eased traffic jams around the country, the costs of the construction are being paid by residents of the areas where construction is taking place.
‘7 years of abundance’ — The unusual media campaign celebrating Sisi’s anniversary
The headlines emblazoned across nearly all state and private newspapers in Egypt today, June 30, are gushing with praise for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and laud the “new republic,” a term Sisi himself used in a speech several months ago to describe the scope of his ambition to transform Egypt.
Public figures announce hunger strikes in solidarity with political prisoners
A number of public figures on Tuesday announced plans to go on hunger strike in solidarity with several political prisoners who have launched hunger strikes from their prison cells in recent weeks to protest their continued detention.
Imprisoned graduate student Ahmed Samir goes on hunger strike to protest harsh sentence
Graduate student Ahmed Samir Santawy began a hunger strike last week to protest a four-year prison sentence handed down against him by an emergency court on June 22 on charges of “publishing false news from outside the country about internal affairs,” his family told Mada Masr on Monday.
Foreign Policy
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt calls upon the international community to exert all possible efforts to assist and support the Lebanese people in overcoming the devastating effects of the August 2020 Beirut explosion and rebuilding the city.
Egypt supports Tunisian president's 'historic' measures, FM Shoukry tells Kais Saied
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has asserted Cairo's support for what he described as the “historic measures” recently taken by Tunisian President Kais Saied, a statement by the Tunisian presidency said on Tuesday following a meeting between Shoukry and Saied at Carthage Palace.
Dam deadlock: Where did Egypt go wrong in managing the GERD dispute for over a decade?
Yet the worry in Cairo today is more over the fate of the GERD negotiations than on the fate of the framework agreement. According to a high-level government official who spoke shortly after Ethiopia announced the end of the second filling, Egypt will give negotiations “a few more months, maybe until the end of this year or early next year,” adding that if Ethiopia “did not come around by then, tougher choices might have to come into play.”
Sisi, Johnson discuss ways to promote bilateral cooperation, review developments in GERD dispute
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson exchanged views in a phone call on Tuesday regarding means to promote trade, investment, health and security cooperation between the two countries, in addition to the efforts to combat terrorism.
Egyptian president, Oman Sultan examine regional developments, economic ties
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi received Sunday a phone call from Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman as they conferred over bilateral relations, and examined the developments of regional matters of mutual interest.
Egypt's national security is a red line that cannot be crossed, we should not worry: Sisi
In a public speech during the inauguration of the Decent Life initiative in Cairo, El-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s demand that Ethiopia and Sudan sign a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
While top Egyptian and Sudanese diplomats in New York are intensifying their efforts to push the UN Security Council to call for a halt to the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis ahead of the council’s anticipated meeting on the issue this afternoon, sources close to the diplomatic efforts are telling Mada Masr that the chances of getting a binding resolution passed on Thursday are slim.
Egypt’s FM urges Israeli government against measures that may escalate tensions with Palestinians
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry voiced Egypt’s aspiration that the Israeli government refrain from any measures that may raise tensions with the Palestinians in a meeting on Sunday with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid.
Egypt, Serbia sign military cooperation protocol
Egypt’s Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki signed on Tuesday a military cooperation protocol with Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Nebojša Stefanović in Cairo, the Egyptian Armed Forces said.
Egypt FM, EU foreign policy chief exchange views on Palestinian cause, GERD dispute
In a meeting on Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell tackled the latest developments in several issues of mutual concerns, including the Palestinian cause and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute.
Egypt's FM Shoukry discusses cooperation with NATO secretary-general
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg ways to activate and develop the cooperation and partnership programs between Egypt and NATO, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced.
Economy
Sisi says bread subsidies to be cut, ministers begin price studies
Bread prices will increase as subsidies are lifted, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared in a speech on Tuesday, during the inauguration of a number of food production projects. Around two-thirds of Egypt’s citizens, or seventy-two million people, currently benefit from bread subsidies, while just under a third, or almost thirty percent, live below the poverty line which was set at 857 Egyptian pounds per month in 2020.
Egypt’s bank deposits in local currency increase by EGP 376.1bn during H1 2021
Egypt’s bank deposits in the local currency increased by 376.104bn Egyptian pounds to 4.036trn Egyptian pounds during the first half (H1) of 2021, compared to 3.660trn Egyptian pounds in H2 2020, according to the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).
Egypt increases agricultural investments by 72% in FY2021/22: Planning minister
Egypt has increased the total investments directed to the agriculture sector in FY2021/2022 by seventy-two percent to reach 73.8 billion Egyptian pounds (representing 5.9 percent of the country’s total investments), up from the forty-three billion Egyptian pounds allocated in FY2020/2021, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said announced on Monday.
Egypt’s inflation to hover around midpoint of target 7% in Q4 of 2022: Central Bank
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) expects annual headline inflation rates to hover around the midpoint of the target inflation rate of seven percent during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022.
Egypt sees 13.3% decrease in trade deficit during April 2021
Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) has revealed that the country saw a 13.3 percent decrease in its trade deficit during April 2021.
Ever Given container ship leaves Egyptian waters: source
The Ever Given container ship that had blocked the Suez Canal in March left Egyptian waters following inspections at Port Said, a canal source said on Tuesday.
Egypt's 'Decent Life' to introduce natural gas in 4M rural households
Within "Decent Life" initiative, natural gas will be introduced in four million households located in 1,337 villages extending pipelines over 16,000 kilometers. The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is already carrying out natural gas introduction works in 199 villages at 3.3 billion Egyptian pounds. The second phase worth 5.5 billion Egyptian pounds consists of 423 villages. As for the third phase, it includes 710 villages and costs of sixteen billion Egyptian pounds.
Domestic Security
Sources: 5 soldiers killed, 5 civilians critically injured in militant attacks in North Sinai
A pair of militant attacks in separate locations in North Sinai over the last two days left at least five soldiers and three militants dead, eight soldiers wounded and five civilians critically injured, according to official statements and sources who spoke to Mada Masr.
2nd Astrazeneca doses delayed nationwide, sources say supplies short until Aug 11
People who were about to receive their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine have had their appointments delayed by nearly three weeks without explanation in recent days.
Development plans in Arish, Sheikh Zuwayed push ahead with little public transparency
Residents across North Sinai are facing military-led development projects that will threaten their homes. However, despite opposition to at least one of these projects earlier this year that culminated in the formation of a committee to form an alternative proposal, the military is continuing its development work while providing very little transparency to anxious residents.
Egypt to receive 2 million Pfizer vaccine doses this week: Ministry
Egypt will receive two million doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of the week, as well as Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses, health ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said late on Sunday.
Egypt receives 250,000 doses of 'AstraZeneca' COVID-19 vaccine from Slovenia
Egypt's Health Minister Hala Zayed has thanked Slovenia for donating to Egypt 250,000 doses of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX, the health ministry said.
Arabic
Al-Karama party called on the government to abstain from cutting subsidies, following president Sisi’s call for price increase on subsidized bread.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights published a report, examining Egypt’s budget for fiscal year 2021/2022.
Journalist Hisham Fouad ended his hunger strike due to health conditions and remains in solitary confinement, according to his wife.
لماذا أجَّل السيسي إطلاق استراتيجية حقوق الإنسان؟
The article discusses the politics behind postponing the launch of Egypt’s national human rights strategy.
الداخلية تعلن العفو عن 2075 نزيلا بالسجون بمناسبة عيد الأضحى وذكرى ثورة يوليو
Egypt's Prisons Authority ordered the release of 2,075 inmates on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha and the fifty-ninth anniversary of the 1952 revolution.
أنور السادات منسق مبادرة الحوار الدولي لـ الشروق: إطلاق سراح النشطاء بداية لتوافق وطني
In this interview, Anwar Sadat discusses the national dialogue initiative following the recent release of prisoners.
Human rights organizations called for the release of detained Egyptian human rights lawyer Mohamed El Baqer who was arrested in September 2019.
غيوم في سماء المصالحة المصرية التركية الهشة
The article examines the rapprochement efforts between Egypt and Turkey amid geopolitical calculations.