[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
Death by torture in Moqattam Police Station: The final two hours of Afroto Mohamed Abdel Hakim Mahmoud, who goes by the nickname Afroto, was hanging out with two friends outside his building in the Winch area in Moqattam’s Zelzal neighborhood around 8 pm on Friday, when police personnel from the investigations unit at the Moqattam Police Station arrived, riding in tuk tuks, to conduct one of their recurring raids on the area. Two hours later, Afroto, the twenty-two-year-old painter, would be dead.
National Elections Authority: Presidential elections to be held in March Presidential elections are to be held in Egypt from 26 to 28 March, and for citizens outside Egypt from March 16 to 18, the recently formed National Elections Authority announced on Monday.
An idiot’s guide to Egypt’s 2018 presidential election Egypt’s next presidential election will take place in late March, officials have announced, with candidate registration to be finalised in January, and a run-off round, if needed, scheduled for April.
Egypt's presidential candidates race against a ticking clock Egypt's presidential elections are less than two months away. With voting set to take place on 26, 27 and 28 March, presidential candidates are required to submit all necessary papers to Egypt’s National Elections Authority between 20 and 29 of January.
Khaled Ali affirms bid for presidency, calling for endorsement submissions on January 25 Activist and rights lawyer Khaled Ali said that he will forge ahead with his bid for the Egyptian presidency in a Thursday press conference, calling on supporters to deliver his candidacy endorsement forms via a human chain.
Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat to hold press conference on presidential bid on Monday Potential presidential candidate Mohamed Anwar al-Sadat, the head of the Reform and Development Party, told Mada Masr that he would announce his final decision regarding his 2018 presidential bid in a press conference on Monday.
Egypt's presidency to hold conference highlighting accomplishments during Sisi tenure Egypt's presidency is set to hold a conference to highlight accomplishments during President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi’s four-year tenure since 2014.
Egypt's Sisi to answer citizens' questions in third edition of 'Ask the President' initiative Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has started via his Facebook page the third round of the "Ask the President'' initiative, where he personally responds to questions and suggestions by citizens.
464 MPs endorse Sisi for presidency Parliament saw a busy session on Tuesday, as over two thirds of the members of Parliament announced their support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the upcoming presidential elections and appointed a parliamentary spokesperson.
Meet Egypt's new four ministers Egypt's lawmakers approved a limited cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, with four new ministers named for the portfolios of local development, culture, tourism and the public business sector.
Women appointed to lead Egypt's ministries of tourism, culture for first time in limited cabinet reshuffle Egypt's parliament approved in a plenary session on Sunday the appointment of four new ministers and two deputy ministers, including two women to head the ministries of culture and tourism.
Egypt's Court of Cassation orders retrial for former interior minister Habib El-Adly in illicit gains case Egypt's Court of Cassation overturned on Thursday a seven-year prison sentence for former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly on charges of illicit gains, ordering a retrial.
Egypt court sentences four members of Giza terrorist cell to death in 2014 case A Cairo criminal court issued a preliminary death sentence on Tuesday against four people convicted of forming a terrorist cell in Giza in a 2014 case.
3 arrested outside Alexandria courthouse after Mahienour al-Massry, Moatasem Medhat verdict acquitted An emergency state security misdemeanor court acquitted three people on Tuesday who were arrested while waiting to hear the verdicts issued against activists Mahienour al-Massry and Moatasem Medhat in December, according to lawyer Hamdy Khalaf.
Former student union head referred to emergency state security court Former student union head Ahmed Gaber has been referred to an emergency state security court on charges of belonging to a banned organization, according to lawyer Amany Adel.
3 men convicted of rape in military tribunal in 2011 executed on Tuesday Egypt’s Interior Ministry carried out a death sentence on Tuesday that was handed to three civilians convicted of rape in a military tribunal in 2011, according to their families.
INTERVIEW: Mustafa Kamel El-Sayyed – Nasser's complex legacy lives on It is almost sixty-five years since Gamal Abdel Nasser emerged as a political figure, being a member of the Free Officers Movement that removed King Farouk, Egypt’s last monarch. It is over thirty-five years since his death on an early autumn afternoon, and exactly 100 years since his birth in a village in Upper Egypt on 16 January 1918.
Improving the nation’s health Last month parliament passed a long awaited new health insurance law. The sixty-seven-article law seeks to make quality health care accessible to all by improving the services offered by public hospitals
Economy
Egypt's economy: Bucking expectations in 2017 Economist at CI Capital Asset Management Noeman Khaled gives Sherine Abdel-Razek his take on Egypt’s economic performance in 2017.
Egypt tourism revenues jump 123.5 pct to $7.6 bln in 2017: Govt official Egypt’s tourism revenues jumped 123.5 percent year-on-year to 7.6 billion USD in 2017, a government official said.
Foreign Relations
Egypt's top prosecutor orders probe into alleged leak published by New York Times Egypt's top prosecutor Nabil Sadek has ordered an urgent investigation into a recent report by the New York Times alleging that it obtained recordings of phone calls where an alleged Egyptian intelligence officer is heard instructing talk show hosts to convince their audience to accept Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
Egypt concerned over reports of Libya-bound ship carrying explosive materials Egypt has expressed great concern over news reports of a ship that was intercepted by Greek authorities last week as it transported explosive materials from Turkey to the port of Misrata in Libya.
Flights between Moscow and Cairo may resume in mid-February: Russia's transport minister Commercial passenger flights between Cairo and Moscow may resume in mid-February, Russian transport minister Maxim Sokolov told reporters on Thursday.
Disputed narratives: Cairo and Khartoum’s increasingly strained relationship Sudan’s decision to recall its ambassador to Egypt and renew its complaint to the UN Security Council over the Halayeb Triangle has compounded tensions in the already strained relationship between Khartoum and Cairo.
Egyptian, Tanzanian foreign ministers to conclude Joint Committee talks in Cairo Wednesday Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is set to meet his Tanzanian counterpart Augustine Mahiga on Wednesday to conclude the third round of joint Egyptian-Tanzanian talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation, a statement by Egypt's foreign ministry read on Tuesday.
'Tanzania understands that Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt,' says Tanzanian FM Tanzania understands that the River Nile is the lifeblood of Egypt, Tanzanian foreign minister Augustine Mahiga said during a joint press conference with Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo on Wednesday.
Egypt's Sisi, Jordan's Abdullah discuss boosting cooperation in phone call Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday discussed in a phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah mutual cooperation between the two countries and means to bolster bilateral ties, the Egyptian president's office said in a statement.
Domestic Security
Sinai roundup: MOI kills 8 militants in Arish, Province of Sinai executes 17-year-old alleged collaborator Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that eight militants were killed in clashes east of Arish city in North Sinai, while the Islamic State-allied Province of Sinai said they had executed an “Egyptian military spy.”
A week of Province of Sinai attacks on Egyptian and Palestinian targets The Province of Sinai carried out multiple attacks last week on a number of Egyptian and Palestinian targets.
Egypt extends nighttime curfew in parts of North Sinai Egypt has renewed a nighttime curfew in designated areas of North Sinai following last week's extension of a nationwide state of emergency for three months starting 13 January.
IS-Hamas feud spills across the border The Islamic State affiliate Sinai Province last week posted a video of the execution of one of its Gazan members. In the video group members flank Moussa Abu Zamat as a young man named Mohamed Saad al-Seidi recites why Abu Zamat had been sentenced to death. Abu Zamat was charged with delivering weapons to Hamas which is described in the video as an “apostate” group.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Workers and Officers in Egypt: The Other Failed Revolution The year 2017 did not end on a good note for Egyptian workers. It was a long year that witnessed renewed trouble for laborers across the country.
Arabic
جريمة التغطية الصحفية» في تعديلات «الإجراءات الجنائية».. «مغالاة قانونية» أم «أمر مؤقت فرضته الظروف»؟» Mada Masr investigates the parliament's amendments to Criminal Procedures law on the ban of press coverage of trial sessions.
في أسوأ أسبوع في تاريخ مصر الحديث: 475 دقيقة إعدام The article highlights the increasing number of executions carried out by Egyptian authorities during 2017.
اعتصام النهضة»: براءة 109 متهمين والسجن بين المؤبد و3 سنوات لـ 268.. و«خلية أوسيم»: إحالة أوراق 4 للمفتي» Cairo Criminal Court handed down prison terms ranging from life imprisonment to ten-year prison over al-Nahda sit-in case.
أسر العريش النازحة.. 11 شهرًا والمصير مازال مجهولًا Elbadeel interviews families of Al-Arish who fled their homes after terrorist attacks hit their residences, stressing their concern over the absence of solution to their situation.
الباعة الجائلون.. أزمة تشريع أم تخطيط؟ The article discusses the parliament's new bill on the organization of the work of street vendors.
للمرة الثانية.. السيسي مرشح بلا برنامج The article examines Sisi's campaign program for the 2018 presidential elections.
الإصلاح العميق والشامل Fishere Ezzedine writes about the need for deep-seated and comprehensive reform of state institutions and its working methods.
«تفاصيل قبول طعن حبيب العادلي في «فساد الداخلية The Cassation Court considered former Interior Minister Habib Al-Adly's appeal and set a retrial before a new criminal division.
(7 قرارات هامة بشأن الانتخابات الرئاسية: رموز المرشحين.. وقائمة الممنوعات (نص كامل The Official Gazette published on Thursday seven decrees of the National Electoral Authority on the regulations of the 2018 presidential elections.
احتياطي النقد الأجنبي في مصر.. رحلة الصعود التاريخي ولغز الديون The article examines Egypt's Central Bank strategy to increase foreign exchange reserve by fifty-three percent at the end of 2016.
انخفاض منسوب النيل ورفع الدعم نهائيًّا.. 7 أزمات تنتظر المصريين في 2018 The article outlines the major issues facing Egypt in 2018, including the Nile low water levels and the removal of subsidies.
«إحالة قضايا جديدة لـ«أمن الدولة»| حقوقيون: «نرفض الانتخابات تحت الطوارئ Lawmakers and activists have warned of the Cabinet's decision to refer new cases from the Public Prosecutor to the Emergency State Security Court, arguing that it imposes further restrictions on the race for the presidential elections slated for March 2018.
كبير الأطباء الشرعيين بـ"فض رابعة": 627حالة وفاة يوم الفض بينهم 8رجال شرطة In Cairo Criminal Court's hearing session, chief coroner Hesham Abdel Hamid confirmed that the death tolls on the day of the dispersal of Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in reached 627 cases.