[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.]
Rabea Al-Adawiya Massacre Two-Year Mark
Rights groups criticize Egypt over 2013 bloody crackdown
International rights groups said the Egyptian government has failed to hold officials accountable for the August 2013 deadly crackdown against Muslim Brotherhood supporters. One group called for a U.N. inquiry.
Egypt rejects HRW call for UN probe into protest deaths
Foreign Ministry rejects call by Human Rights Watch for an international investigation into the killing of hundreds of protesters in Cairo by security forces two years ago.
Free Egyptians Party: HRW report on Rabaa camp dispersal is politicized
“Issuing the report just after the opening of the new Suez Canal shows ulterior motives,” said a party official.
Minor clashes in Egypt on second anniversary of Rabaa sit-in dispersal
Ahram Online reports.
Muslim Brotherhood remembers Rabea in English, but less so in Arabic
Mada Masr analyzes Brotherhood-linked efforts to commemorate the Rabea al-Adaweya square massacre.
On Rabea anniversary, rights groups release slew of statements calling for justice
On the second anniversary of the violent dispersal of sit-in camps at Rabea al-Adaweya and Nahda Square that left more than 1,000 people dead, local and international rights groups released statements condemning the state for its role in the bloodshed, and for failing to bring those responsible to justice.
Pro-Brotherhood groups fight to keep memory of Rabea alive, others work to wipe it away
While a few small marches were reported in Cairo, Giza and Alexandria on Friday, no large-scale protests or associated security crackdowns took place on the second anniversary of the forced dispersal of the sit-ins at Rabea al-Adaweya and Nahda Square.
After state crackdown and rumors of rifts, Brotherhood faces identity crisis
The Brotherhood is clearly faced with a choice between supporting the political game and eradicating internal inclinations toward violent confrontation, or taking the conflict to the extreme and eliminating any hope of political reconciliation.
Political Rights
Tracking Egypt’s Extraparliamentary Laws
As part of TIMEP’s Legislation Tracker, Mai El-Sadany reports on recent laws and initiatives that Egypt’s president has adopted under his legislative privileges.
How Hebrew teaches us something about ourselves: A personal and not-so-personal account
“Israel has helped me understand Egypt after June 30, 2013,” explains Nael El Toukhy.
Justice Ministry: assets of 1345 Brotherhoods confiscated
A panel from the Justice Ministry has so far frozen the assets and confiscated property belonging to 1,345 Muslim Brotherhood members, including 103 schools run by the group.
Pope Tawadros II receives personal status law recommendations
A church source said that Pope Tawadros II received personal status law recommendations from the legislative committee on Friday, which includes an article that allows for divorce.
Ten NGOs belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood dissolved
Egypt`s social solidarity minister dissolved ten NGOs on Tuesday to further curb the banned group`s activities
Egypt military court sentences 250 Muslim Brotherhood members to life in prison
Defendants, including a former MP, are accused of involvement in violent actions that took place in the Nile Delta governorate Beheira following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Brotherhood supreme leader referred to criminal court in new Rabaa sit-in case
Investigations were opened in April in a case separate from the `Rabaa Operation room` case where Badie was sentenced to death
Pro-Morsi political leader Abul-Ela Madi released from jail
Madi spent two years in jail pending investigations into violence-related charges.
Egypt`s Journalists Syndicate files reports with public prosecutor on detained journalists
Among them is Mahmoud Abou-Zeid, also known as Shawkan, who has spent almost two years in pre-trial detention.
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya calls for dialogue to end Egypt`s `polarization`
Some observers had linked those calls with some local media reports which stated that some Islamist groups – although not Morsi`s Muslim Brotherhood – are willing to reconcile with the current regime.
Tahrir Academy NGO halts its activities
Closure demonstrates the difficulties of civil society work in Egypt
Elections
Wafd, Free Egyptians trade accusations of candidate stealing
Competition is intensifying between the veteran Al-Wafd Party and the Free Egyptians Party ahead of parliamentary elections due to be held before the end of the year.
Egypt`s Sisi forms High Elections Committee
The High Elections Committee will supervise the upcoming parliamentary elections in Egypt, scheduled to be held before the end of 2015.
Egypt`s non-Islamist political parties in disarray ahead of parliamentary elections
An explosion of power struggles inside a number of Egypt`s secular political parties may negatively affect their performance in upcoming parliamentary elections.
Economy
CAPMAS: Twenty-eight Percent of youth live in poverty, twenty-four percent on the edge of poverty
Says a 2014 report issued by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
Government adamant on controversial civil service law
The government has voiced persistence in maintaining a law regulating the work of its public servants, defying massive protests demanding to revoke the law enacted in March.
Government employees to demand PM’s removal over controversial law
The employees, mainly from the Finance Ministry, staged massive protests outside the Journalists` Syndicate last week aiming to revoke the law enacted in March, which they say encroaches on their financial rights.
Real Estate Tax Syndicate Chairman: We protest to defend seven million families
Syndicate Chairman Tarek Koeib interviwed by Al-Masry Al-Youm about efforts to protest unfavorable civil service law.
New law allows private sector to import, sell gas
Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail said on Friday that a new law is being prepared to liberalize the gas market by allowing the private sector to import and sell gas.
Doctors protest lack of training
Several young doctors protested outside the Doctors` Syndicate in Cairo on Saturday to decry what they called a lack of training and to demand more privileges during their residency period.
Egypt confiscates assets of Juhayna chairman over Brotherhood ties
Founded in 1983, Juhayna is considered to be Egypt`s largest producer of juices and dairy products. It caters to markets across Africa and the Middle East, and also sells to European and United States markets on a smaller scale.
Inflation drops to lowest rate since last year`s fuel price hike
The rate is the lowest since June 2014.
Sisi designates Suez Canal area a special economic zone
Sisi asserted that the economic zone would increase commerce between Egypt and other countries.
Suez Canal expansion likely to have small but positive impact, says ratings agency
Credit rating agency Moody’s said that the newly opened Suez Canal expansion will likely boost Egypt’s credit quality in the long run, but cast doubt on government projections of rapid growth in revenue.
Sentence against police officer charged with Abu Zaabal deaths reduced
Khanka Misdemeanor Court has reduced the prison sentence handed to a police officer for his responsibility in the deaths of thirty-seven detainees in a prisoner transfer vehicle outside Abu Zaabal prison in 2013.
Update: Okasha arrested for outstanding court orders, not libel, says MOI
The privately owned ONA News Agency reported that Okasha may have been arrested in light of recent critical comments posted on his Facebook account against Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar.
Domestic Security
ISIS beheading an ominous sign in struggling Egypt
Egypt Independent suggests that ISIS’s reach has now transcended Sinai, as government efforts to fight the group is apparently falling short.
Three more Egyptians die Saturday amid heat, raising death toll to ninety-five
The Ministry of Health reports.
Neighborhood heads granted power of arrest
Heads of neighborhoods have been granted the power of arrest to facilitate the management of the capital’s streets, state-owned Al-Ahram reported.
Islamic State announces slaughter of Croatian kidnapped in Egypt
Several Islamic State-affiliated Twitter accounts published pictures of the Croatian citizen kidnapped in Egypt after he was killed and beheaded.
Curfew hours reduced in Arish
Mada Masr reports.
Foreign Policy
Al-Azhar, NCW and Arab Lawyers condemn Amnesty call to decriminalize sex work
Al-Azhar described the recommendation as a diabolical attempt to undermine moral values and human dignity.
Russia supplies Egypt with new warship
Delivery is part of a mutual military cooperation deal between the two countries.