[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
Authorities make at least 500 arrests amid heightened security presence
Over 500 people have been arrested and brought before prosecuting authorities in Cairo and elsewhere in the country since the outset of October, several lawyers told Mada Masr, while a heightened security presence remains deployed over public spaces as part of a response to calls to protest on November 11.
Defense lawyer forcibly disappeared amid security campaign to contain calls for protest on Nov. 11
Defense lawyer Ahmed Nazir al-Helw was arrested by security forces in the early hours on Tuesday from his home in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement neighborhood, several of his colleagues told Mada Masr.
Egypt: Sexual assault of detainee Omar Ali in Badr Prison denounced by human rights organizations
The undersigned human rights organizations condemn the sexual assault of Omar Mohamed Ali inside his place of detention on 2 October 2022, by members of the police and in the presence of the prison investigations inspector. The organizations call on the Public Prosecution to open a serious and transparent investigation into the incident, to seize the camera recordings inside the prison, and to bring those responsible to trial.
Egypt: Rare Meeting in Cairo of Egyptian and International Rights Groups
On 12 November, for the first time in years, representatives of twelve independent Egyptian, regional, and international human rights organizations met in person in Cairo for a roundtable hosted by the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), to discuss opportunities to promote and protect human rights in Egypt in the months and years ahead.
Egyptian authorities release another batch of 30 pretrial detainees
Egyptian authorities have released a new group of thirty pretrial detainees pending investigation, members of the Presidential Pardon Committee said on Tuesday.
Egyptian authorities arrest journalist Ahmed Fayez for reporting on Alaa Abdelfattah
On November 10, state security forces arrested Fayez, editor-in-chief of state-run newspaper Akhbar El-Barlman, from his home in Cairo, according to news reports and a local journalist following the case who spoke to CPJ via messaging app on the condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal. On the same day, authorities charged Fayez with spreading false news, misusing social media to incite a terrorist crime, and belonging to and funding a terrorist group and ordered his detention pending trial.
Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah says he broke days-long water strike: Family
A letter written by jailed Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah on Saturday and handed on Monday to his mother, Laila Soueif, says that he started to drink water Saturday, Khaled Ali, his lawyer, and his family said on Monday.
Alaa Abdel-Fattah is a British-Egyptian writer, human rights defender and software developer. He was one of the leading voices and campaigners during the 25 January 2011 revolution. He has been published in numerous outlets; is well-known for founding a prominent Arabic blog aggregator; and has been involved in a number of citizen journalism initiatives. His book, You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, which compiles some of his deeply influential writings, has received widespread acclaim.
Family of jailed activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah asks for presidential pardon
The family of jailed political activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah made an appeal on Friday for Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to pardon Abdel-Fattah like he did with former MP Ziad El-Eleimy, who was pardoned last month.
From pushing coal to organizing COP, the greenwashing PR firm Egypt has cozied up to
During the opening session of the World Leaders Summit at COP27, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stood before the world’s heads of state and praised his government’s efforts in bringing about “the green transformation.” However, in the months ahead of the summit, the Egyptian government turned to a PR firm with a history of defending major polluting industries to manage communications for the event.
COP diaries: Navigating political pollution
But rest assured, security men and their cars spread as far as the eye can see, controlling traffic and ensuring everything flows smoothly. Every once in a while, in the middle of the palm trees, you will find a metal column holding a picture of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Then, you notice the advertisements for the Sharks Bay area in Sharm el-Sheikh, which looks very different now after its “development” to include a massive new yacht marina — transforming the area from a tourist resort abounding in marine life to a yacht marina for the wealthy, resembling the town of Gouna.
Welcome to Sharm el-Sheikh: President’s City, City of Peace, City of COP27
After these decades of environmental deterioration, the government embarked this year upon plans to green the city, as Egypt was delegated to host COP27 during the 2021 edition of the climate summit in Glasgow, UK.
Nobel laureates call for release of political prisoners in Egypt alongside COP27 climate summit
Over a dozen Nobel laureates have published an open letter calling on governments, environmental groups and businesses to call for the release of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt in the run-up to and during the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference due to launch in Sharm el-Sheikh next week.
Hossam Bahgat on the “Full-Scale Human Rights Crisis” in Egypt as Country Hosts COP27
In this interview, Hossam Bahgat talks about how Egyptian authorities have launched a widespread crackdown on political dissent.
British PM affirms commitment to Abd El Fattah’s release as activist begins water strike
The British government is “totally committed” to resolving the case of prominent imprisoned activist and writer Alaa Abd El Fattah, and will call for his release at the highest levels of the Egyptian government, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged today in a letter addressed to Abd El Fattah’s sister, Sanaa Seif.
The petition calls on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those held simply for peacefully exercising their human rights.
Former political detainee prevented from granting power of attorney
Labor activist and former detainee Hassan Barbary learned this week that he is unable to grant power of attorney to any lawyer, as consequence, he was told, of an active asset freeze against him.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights issued a new paper in the environmental justice dossier entitled "Lest the green disappear - trees and gardens in Egypt's cities from the perspective of environmental justice."
EIPR issued a report titled “Conviction without Evidence: The Unfair Trial of Abu Al-Fotouh, Al-Qassas, and Moaz Al-Sharqawi,” in which it called for the abolition of the lengthy prison sentences issued in Emergency State Security case 1059 of 2021 against twenty-five defendants, including former presidential candidate and head of the Strong Egypt Party, Abdel-Moneim Aboul Fotouh (fifteen years), his deputy, Mohammed Al-Qassas (ten years), and former student leader, Moaz al-Sharqawi (ten years).
Development threatens residents, environment of historic St. Catherine area
While Saad describes that day as apocalyptic, officials describe it as a “historic day” that marked the beginning of construction for the development of the city and protectorate of St. Catherine, spurred by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s directive to the government last year to begin work on a project dubbed the “Great Transfiguration on the Land of Peace.”
EIPR publishes a new research paper on health and climate change in Egypt
Today, EIPR released a research paper entitled "Climate Change and Health in Egypt--Threats and Mitigation Measures". The paper, which is issued within the "Environmental Papers" series, addresses the intersection between public health and environmental policies in Egypt, coinciding with Egypt's hosting of the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Climate Agreement (COP27) next month in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Foreign Policy
Egyptian-Turkish summit held in Doha: Al-Qahera News
A summit meeting is being held between Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Doha, Qatar on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Egyptian News channel Al-Qahera News reported.
COP27 deal a 'historic achievement': Shoukry
COP27 President and Minister of Foreign Afairs Sameh Shoukry said that setting up a loss and damage fund to help vulnerable nations cope with climate-induced disasters is "a historic achievement," fulfilling twenty-seven years of negotiations.
Egypt’s FM receives Iranian vice president Salajegheh on COP27 sidelines
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received Iranian Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment Ali Salajegheh on Tuesday on the sidelines of the twenty-seventh UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh city.
Sisi, Italian PM discuss ways of boosting relations between the two countries
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ways of fostering relations between the two countries in various fields, including investment, trade and economy, as well as promoting cooperation in the fields of security and industry.
Egypt seeks to cooperate with France in transportation and electric car industry: Sisi
The president said that Egypt looks forward to exchanging views with France, particularly on issues of food and energy security.
Sisi discusses increasing German investments in Egypt with Chancellor Scholz
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday discussed with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ways to boost German investments in Egypt, especially in the fields of technology localisation, industry and energy like green hydrogen, the Egyptian presidency announced.
Egypt's president speaks with Arab leaders at Algeria summit
El-Sisi took part in the thirty-first Arab Summit on Wednesday, during which he urged the Arab world to recall the brightest instances of cooperation in its history amid the current global and regional challenges.
Economy
Egypt's unemployment rises by 0.2% to reach 7.4% in Q3/2022: CAPMAS
Egypt's unemployment rate rose to 7.4 percent in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022, up by 0.2 percent in the previous quarter, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAMPAS) reported on Tuesday.
Cashing in on greenwashing? Egyptian solar companies sell carbon certificates to Global North
Twenty-two renewable energy companies operating in Egypt’s south took a step this summer toward selling carbon certificates, registering with a Swiss-based company to qualify as companies whose activities contribute to an overall reduction of emissions worldwide.
Egypt, Russia start construction work on El-Dabaa's second nuclear reactor
A dozen Egyptian and Russian officials celebrated on Saturday the beginning of the construction of the second nuclear reactor at the Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (DNPP) west of Alexandria.
Egypt, Saudi ACWA Power sign MoU on $1.5 bln wind energy project in Suez Gulf
The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) has signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia’s utility developer ACWA Power to explore a joint investment in a 1.5 billion US dollars wind energy project with a capacity of 1.1 gigawatt (GW) in the Egyptian Gulf of Suez, a statement said on Tuesday.
Following months of anticipation and negotiations, Egypt and the International Monetary Fund announced that the two sides reached a preliminary agreement on a loan package of three billion US dollars to be disbursed over four years.
Qatar secures first government-shares acquisition in Egypt
Egypt has agreed to sell twenty-five percent of the state-owned shares in Vodafone Egypt to Qatari buyers, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, who said an agreement on the sale took place in Cairo last week during the visit of a Qatari Businessmen Association delegation.
Egypt’s CIB launches Sustaining SMEs programme
The programme targets the integration of ESG principles into Egypt’s small- and medium-sized enterprises across different sectors as well as the development of innovative sustainable finance products tailored to cater to the needs of SMEs and corporates.
Total non-governmental deposits in local currency with banks amounted to about 5.253 trillion Egyptian pounds.
Govt moves to increase minimum wage, private sector promises to follow suit
With inflation in Egypt at its highest level in four years, the government took steps last week to raise the minimum wage.
Foreign currency shortage puts Egypt’s wheat supply at risk
At the heart of the matter is a major deficit of foreign currency liquidity that has affected an array of industrial sectors and financial operations since the beginning of the year, and which experts and recent data say is only escalating.
EIPR commentary on the announcement of a new IMF loan agreement with Egypt
Egypt announced the conclusion of a staff-level new loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would provide financing to partially help the country meet its stressing external obligations. This comes at a moment of crisis, in which the payments of foreign debt obligations exceed, in the short term, foreign exchange reserves, amid increasing difficulties in providing needed foreign currency.
Domestic Security
IS-linked militants kill seven Egyptian troops in attack near Suez Canal
Militants from an Islamic State affiliated group have killed seven Egyptian troops in an attack on the city of East Qantara in Sinai, near the Suez Canal.
Two Armed Forces personnel were killed on Saturday and a university student was injured during clashes between Armed Forces units and militants thought to belong to the Islamic State-affiliated Province of Sinai, according to local sources and security sources who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.
From Jadaliyya
Flow Podcast: What is Freedom for Alaa Abd El-Fattah? with Hossam Bahgat (12 November)
Egypt's most prominent political activist, Alaa Abd El-Fattah, faces possible death in custody after going on a 226 day hunger strike and five days without water to protest his unjust detention without legal recourse or due process, while having limited access to loved ones for over a decade. A British-Egyptian blogger, software developer, activist, and author of the acclaimed collection of essays You Have Not Yet Been Defeated (2022), Alaa's plight has attracted global attention and solidarity with sixteen Nobel Laureates, countless human rights organizations, and world leaders advocating for his immediate release. Egyptian authorities remain intransigent in the face of all demands for his freedom.
The co-editors of Jadaliyya call on the Government of Egypt to immediately release author, blogger, software developer, and activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has languished in its prisons for almost a decade. Alaa has been on a hunger strike for over 220 days and a water strike for the past four days. He is currently at risk of dying in custody in Wadi El Natrun prison.
Arabic
السجون الجديدة وتحديث الانتهاكات
Human rights organizations considered the new prison worse than the notorious “Scorpion” prison in Tora, describing it as “Guantanamo.” Reports of deaths of three prisoners over the past two months were documented due to the lack of necessary health care.
لماذا أعادت مصر إحياء المجلس الأعلى للاستثمار؟ وكيف ينعكس ذلك على الاقتصاد؟
The article discusses how the Supreme Investment Council will address investment problems on the ground and its impacts on the economy.
Families of thirty imprisoned fishermen —who have been detained since 2020 over joining a terrorist group charges with no hearing and no trial date—were prevented from visiting their sons in Badr 1 prison, according to the inhabitants of Motobas Kafar al-Sheikh.
The authorities released Khaled Lutfi, director and founder of Tanmia Bookshop and Publishing, after he was arrested in April 2018 over spreading false news charges.
النواب يوافق من حيث المبدأ على تعديلات إعادة تنظيم الأزهر
The House of Representatives, headed by Counselor Dr. Hanafi Jabali, agreed in principle to amend some provisions of the law reorganizing Al-Azhar and its affiliated bodies.
لماذا نقلت مصر مبادرات التمويل من "المركزي" إلى "المالية"؟
The Ministry of Finance will be responsible for managing and monitoring interest rate initiatives instead of the Central Bank of Egypt, according to a decision issued by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, published in the Official Gazette on Sunday.