[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
All contact with Alaa Abdel-Fattah lost, says sister of jailed Egyptian activist
Mona Seif, the sister of jailed Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, has lashed out at the Egyptian and British governments for leaving her and her family in the dark regarding her brother's safety.
The heated debate was sparked, according to two members of the board of trustees who were present in Tuesday’s closed talks, by two proposals during the session: one to apply pressure on the public prosecutor for the release of certain political detainees, and another for greater adherence to and regulation of the principle of judicial independence.
727 Egyptian prisoners released by presidential pardon on anniversary of July 1952 Revolution
Egypt’s Ministry of Interior announced on Saturday the release of 727 prisoners as per a presidential pardon on the seventieth anniversary of the July 1952 Revolution.
Egyptian authorities release more pretrial detainees
Egyptian authorities ordered the release of several pretrial detainees pending investigations, member of Presidential pardon committee and prominent lawyer Tarek El-Awady announced on his social media accounts on Saturday.
The family of imprisoned activist Alaa Abd El Fattah will not be able to sue Egypt’s public prosecutor for professional misconduct, the legal team that filed the case told Mada Masr on Monday.
French citizen missing in Cairo since August 2021, his family says
French national Yann Bourdon has been missing in Egypt since August 2021, his mother Isabel Leclerc and his sister Wendy told Mada Masr this month.
Court sentences 10 to death, 56 to life; acquits 43 in 'Helwan Brigades' terror case
A High Emergency State Security Criminal Court sentenced on Tuesday ten to death and fifty-six others to life imprisonment for carrying out premeditated deadly attacks on police personnel and civilians among other terror crimes in the case known as “Helwan Brigades”.
Trial of Egyptian security officials for 2016 murder of Giulio Regeni will not go ahead
Italy’s courts will not proceed with the in-absentia prosecution of four Egyptian security officials who are charged with the 2016 murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni.
Militarizing the Supreme Constitutional Court
In historic first, an Armed Forces general is set to take a seat on the bench of Egypt’s highest court. Mada Masr looks at the politics behind the decision.
In 2020, legal amendments enabled the endowments authority to manage and invest the assets. In 2021, the Egyptian Endowments Fund was established, to be managed directly by the Cabinet with the purpose of aggregating all endowment surpluses and directing them toward priorities determined by the government.
What happened in the first coordinating session of the National Dialogue?
Describing the National Dialogue’s board of trustees as “a major part of the June 30 coalition,” Rashwan linked the state’s legitimacy to participation in the June 2013 protests against the Muslim Brotherhood government.
Head of Journalists Syndicate and Coordinator of Egypt’s National Dialogue Diaa Rashwan said on Tuesday that the dialogue’s board of trustees discussed the political dossier as a national priority in its second meeting held in Cairo.
Egypt starts 2nd round of national dialogue to 'determine national priorities'
The board of trustees of Egypt's national dialogue started on Tuesday its second round to determine the national priorities and agenda for the upcoming debates
Amending constitution not on Egypt's national dialogue agenda: Rashwan
Discussions over amending the constitution will not be on the agenda of Egypt's national dialogue as the legitimacy of the regime is based on this constitution, said Diaa Rashwan, chairman of the Press Syndicate and coordinator of the national dialogue.
Egypt’s Conservatives Party rejects Muslim Brotherhood's participation in National Dialogue
Talaat Khalil, the secretary-general of Egypt’s Conservatives Party, announced in a statement on Friday that “the party supports all Egyptian political factions in rejecting the participation of the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood in the National Dialogue that is expected to kick off this week.”
New amendments to Egypt’s NGOs law are in the making
MP Talaat Abdel-Qawi, head of the general union of NGOs and Civil Society Organisations, revealed on Sunday evening that new amendments to Egypt’s NGOs Law are currently in the making.
With an eye on profitable river traffic and utilities, the government has begun this week to forcibly evict residents and owners of houseboats docking along the Nile’s banks in the Kit Kat area of Giza.
Foreign Policy
Al-Sisi, Somali President discuss GERD dispute, Red Sea security
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received his Somali counterpart, Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud, in Cairo on Monday. During their meeting, both leaders affirmed their mutual interest in advancing bilateral cooperation and working together to consolidate security and stability in the Horn of Africa.
Sisi, Macron discuss bilateral relations in phone call
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed the results of his latest visit to Paris in a telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, the Egyptian presidency announced.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's message to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, conveyed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday, asserted the ongoing fruitful cooperation between the two countries, especially in light of the massive investments and projects established by Russia in Egypt, according to Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady.
Egypt calls for prioritising dialogue, diplomatic solutions to solve Ukrainian crisis: Sisi
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Sunday the importance of prioritising dialogue and diplomatic solutions to settle the Russian-Ukrainian War, voicing Egypt’s support for all endeavours that would speed up the political settlement of the crisis.
US government pledges $50 million to support food security, smallholder farmers in Egypt
The US government pledged fifty million US dollars (947 million Egyptian pounds) to support Egypt’s food security as well as the smallholder farmers in the country to help offset the severe global consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US embassy in Cairo said on Sunday.
Harming Egypt’s water interests will lead to international and regional tension: FM
Any harm to Egypt’s water interest will lead to international and regional tensions, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in comments to Egyptian television on Saturday.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have underlined the importance of breaking the current stalemate in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) talks to reach a balanced, legally-binding solution on the filling and operation of the dam.
Economy
Importers face higher banking fees, placing further pressure on companies’ liquidity
Banking fees for importers wishing to secure the supply of their goods to Egypt were hiked without warning by as much as 1,150 percent before the July Eid al-Adha holiday, import traders working in various sectors told Mada Masr.
EU provides €117.9 mln grant to support Egypt’s water, energy budgets
Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat stated that the grant comes in light of the EU-Egypt strategic relationship and their continuous cooperation, also noting that it is in line with the state’s efforts to boost its green transition and the execution of the eco-friendly projects ahead of hosting the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).
Egypt gov't will continue to subsidise bread amid rise of fuel prices: Minister of Supply
The General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) will continue to bear the difference between the actual cost of production and the price to consumers of subsidised bread in diesel-fueled bakeries, Minister of Supply Ali Moselhi said Sunday.
Egypt raises fuel prices in quarterly review
Egypt’s Fuel Automatic Pricing Committee (FAPC) raised on Wednesday fuel prices for various octanes by 0.5 Egyptian pounds to 1 Egyptian pounds per litre, keeping the price of mazut for electricity and food industries fixed, for the third quarter of the year due to the global rise in oil prices.
Over EGP 1 bln allocated for industrial complexes nationwide: Egypt's Finance minister
Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait assured that the government has allocated 1.1 billion Egyptian pounds in the new budget to establish utilities for thirteen industrial complexes in several governorates with the aim of providing a stimulating infrastructure for the owners of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMEs).
Egyptian Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said on Sunday that 356 billion Egyptian pounds of the fiscal year (FY) 2022/23 budget has been allocated for social protection and subsidization, while another 400 billion Egyptian pounds will go for improving conditions of public employees including wages and compensations.
Domestic Security
Annual report on human rights violations in Sinai 2021
The Sinai Foundation for Human Rights revealed in a report published on Monday the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in the towns of North Sinai. The most abuses took place in Bir al-Abd and Sheikh Zuwayed, in addition to an increase in abuses against women, especially arbitrary arrests. According to the foundation, the conflicting parties: Egyptian law enforcement forces, the military and police; and the ISIS-affiliate Sinai Province group, both committed the abuses, some of which amount to war crimes.
Arabic
Almanassa examines the impact of inflation on the middle class in Egypt since the liberalization of the exchange rate in 2016.
منظمات حقوقية تطالب بإغلاق حقيقي وشامل لقضية التمويل الأجنبي
Human rights organizations demanded the closure of Case no. 173 of 2011 and all the consequent decisions depriving a number of human rights defenders of their rights.
منى سيف: لليوم الثاني السجن يخطرنا بامتناع علاء عن الزيارة.. مفيش حتى جواب يطمنا إنه لسة عايش وبخير
Mona Seif, sister of imprisoned political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, said that for the second day in a row, they were notified that Alaa is refusing his family’s visit. His family believes that he might be at risk as he passes 115 days of hunger strike.
Imprisoned Egyptian poet Ahmed Douma was brutally assaulted in prison and denied family visits, according to his family.