[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 jails leading activist Alaa Abdel Fattah for five years
Prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah has been sentenced to five years in prison, his sister and a judicial source said, after being tried on charges of spreading fake news. Blogger Mohamed “Oxygen” Ibrahim and lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer, who faced the same charges, were sentenced to four years.
Acting Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahmoud Ezzat sentenced to life in prison for espionage
A Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Mahmoud Ezzat — the acting supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood — in a retrial on Sunday to life in prison for collaborating with the Palestinian group Hamas and other foreign organisations and disclosing information pertaining to Egypt’s national security.
After twenty-two months in custody, the Mansoura Emergency State Security Misdemeanour Court decided to release Patrick George Zaki, a researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.
CPJ: With 25 journalists detained, Egypt 3rd worst jailor of media workers globally
Egypt was the third worst jailor of journalists in the world in 2021, with twenty-five reporters held in custody by governments, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ annual census.
Universal Appliances workers resume strike after management falls short on promise to pay wages
Workers at Universal for Electric Appliances went on strike again on Tuesday after company management failed to stick to an agreed upon schedule for outstanding delayed wages and slashed the value of bonuses without warning.
Students for Egypt run unopposed for universities’ students elections
Student union elections began at universities across the country on Tuesday, with the nationwide Students for Egypt bloc running unopposed for the majority of seats.
Egypt arrests two people for impersonating high-ranking officials in fabricated leaked phone call
Egypt’s Ministry of Interior announced on Monday the detainment of two people charged with impersonating the identity of high-ranking officials in a fabricated phone call that was leaked through Muslim Brotherhood’s YouTube channels with the aim of tarnishing the reputation of state institutions.
Court fines rights activist Hossam Bahgat for insulting elections authority
A Cairo misdemeanour economic court has fined prominent human rights activist Hossam Bahgat 10,000 Egyptian pounds for insulting the National Elections Authority.
Haider Kandil, a journalist and member of the Shiite sect, told the EIPR's researchers that the Cairo airport authorities prevented him from traveling on the morning of Saturday, December 11th, seized his passport and ordered him to go to the National Security headquarters to retrieve it.
Freedom now for Ahmed Douma, political activist and writer, demanded by human rights organizations
On 3 December 2021, Ahmed Douma, a writer and political activist who was one of the most prominent symbols and leaders of the January 2011 revolution, enters his eighth year of arbitrary detention, against the background of his political activism and his tireless pursuit of freedom and democracy. Ahmed Douma contributed to the establishment of a number of the most important protest movements in Egypt, such as the Kefaya Movement, which had a pivotal role in igniting the January Revolution. Douma is also one of the founders of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition.
A criminal court renews the detention of the blogger Reda Abdel Rahman for 45 days
On Saturday, November 27, 2021, Zagazig Criminal Court decided to renew the detention of Quranic blogger Reda Abdel Rahman for 45 days, pending investigations in Case No. 3418 of 2020.
Foreign Policy
Egypt rejected on Saturday a statement made by the German government regarding an upcoming trial session for a number of defendants in Egyptian court, calling it a “blatant and unjustified interference in the country's internal affairs.”
Egypt, Saudi Arabia working closely to achieve 'security and stability in the region': Shoukry
Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry said on Thursday that Egypt is working closely with Saudi Arabia to "achieve the security and stability within the region."
Egypt coordinates with the Gulf Cooperation Council on all issues: FM Shoukry
In a press conference held in Riyadh following the launch of the political consultation mechanism between Egypt and the GCC, Shoukry stated that the security of the Arabian Gulf was an integral part of the security of both Egypt and the Arab world.
Economy
A tender for a new cigarette manufacturer to enter the Egyptian market was re-launched on Monday by the Industrial Development Authority and will allow the bid winner to manufacture cigarettes in the cheapest and most popular price range.
Ezz Steel to buy Abu Hashima’s Egyptian Steel shares
Ezz Steel, a company owned by businessman and former MP Ahmed Ezz, who was jailed on illicit gains charges after the 2011 revolution, is to buy eighteen percent of Egyptian Steel in a 2.5 billion Egyptian pounds deal, according to a Sunday announcement.
Government hikes cost of butane gas cylinders for household cooking by over 7%
The government raised the prices of butane gas cylinders on Saturday by five Egyptian pounds for homes and by ten Egyptian pounds for the commercial-use cylinders, pushing official prices per cylinder up to seventy Egyptian pounds and 140 Egyptian pounds, respectively.
82% of Egypt’s state bodies implement PPBB budget for FY2021/22: Finance minister
Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Sunday that eighty-two percent of state bodies and sixty-nine percent of economic authorities in Egypt have submitted their budgets for current FY2021/2022 based on “programmes and performance based budgeting” (PPBB) concepts, which contribute to achieving the rational management of public money.
Egypt’s Central Bank maintains interest rates for the last time in 2021
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) on Thursday kept the overnight deposit rate, overnight lending rate, and the rate of the main operation unchanged at 8.25 percent, 9.25 percent and 8.75 percent, respectively.
Egypt to increase departure fees, taxes on cinema tickets, soda, other commodities
Egypt’s House of Representative is set to discuss on Tuesday amendments to the stamp tax law increasing taxes for exiting the country and on a number of services and commodities.
Egypt gov't submits amendments to VAT law to stimulate economy; would exempt Suez Canal
Egypt’s government has submitted a package of amendments to the value-added tax (VAT) law that would exempt the Suez Canal Authority’s services from the VAT, including passage fees.
Egypt’s food exports up by 19% year on year in 2021: Trade minister
Egypt’s food industry exports totaled 3.1 billion US dollars in the first nine months of 2021, up from the 2.8 billion US dollars in the same period last year, recording a nineteen percent year-on-year increase and ranking third among other Egyptian sectors exporting to foreign markets, Trade and Industry Minister Nevine Gamea stated on Sunday.
Domestic Security
The Facebook Papers: Saudi and Egyptian companies involved in domestic worker trafficking network
In internal investigations last year, Facebook documented how its platforms were being used by a Saudi recruitment agency in collaboration with an Egyptian marketing company to facilitate a labor trafficking network in the Middle East that exploits women to work as maids, according to documents obtained by Mada Masr.
Arabic
وزير الدفاع يخضع «جهاز تنمية سيناء» لسلطته بدلًا من رئيس الوزراء
Defense Minister, Mohamed Zaki, assigned the National Authority for the Development of the Sinai Peninsula under his authority instead of the Prime Minister.
Journalist Amer Abdel Moneim was ordered into pretrial detention renewal by the Supreme State Security Prosecution after spending one year in jail, pending investigation.
18 يناير.. تأجيل جلسة حنين حسام لاتهمها بالاتجار بالبشر
Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the hearing of social media influencer Hanin Hossam to January 18, calling in witnesses for her defense over “human trafficking” charges.
