[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
Prosecution freezes assets of Al-Masry Al-Youm co-founder Salah Diab Egypt`s prosecution ordered the freezing of owner and co-founder of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper Salah Diab`s assets, alleging that he appropriated state lands
Al-Masry Al-Youm owner Salah Diab arrested Co-founder and owner of privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper Salah Diab was arrested along with his son on Sunday morning on charges of corruption, the state-owned Al-Ahram reported.
Hossam Bahgat`s lawyers awaiting decision of Military Prosecution Prosecution charged Bahgat with publishing false news that harms national interests and disseminating information that disturbs public peace, according to lawyers.
Egyptian investigative reporter Hossam Bahgat summoned by Military prosecution Bahgat has written a number of investigative reports for Mada Masr, including an expose involving military officers.
Sisi criticizes media for coverage of floods in Alexandria during televised speech In a lengthy televised address on Sunday, Sisi criticized media coverage of the deadly floods in Alexandria and observed a minute’s silence for the victims of Saturday’s Russian plane crash in Sinai.
Egypt`s Journalists union defends media`s right to criticism following Sisi`s complaints Egypt`s Journalists Syndicate defended on Monday the right of media workers to express views critical of authorities in the wake of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi`s accusation that media criticism of his performance was uncalled for and unprofessional.
New plans to regulate digital media The draft press and media law may end up stifling the nascent electronic media scene under the pretext of organizing it.
Novelist and editor accused of publishing sexual content to go to court on November 14 The case against novelist Ahmed Naji and Tarek al-Taher, editor-in-chief of Akhbar al-Adab, will go to court on 14 November, Naji`s lawyer confirmed to Mada Masr on Tuesday.
HRW: Dozens of Egyptians illegally banned from travel Egyptian authorities have illegally prevented dozens of people from leaving the country over the past year, according to a report released Sunday by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Award-winning detainee highlights deteriorating prison conditions Detained human rights lawyer Mahienour al-Massry told family members of deteriorating conditions in Damanhour Prison during their visit with her on Saturday.
Esraa al-Taweel begs for medical care as judge extends her detention by 45 days Detainee Esraa al-Taweel sobbed as a judge renewed her pre-trial detention for another forty-five days on Monday. She begged the court to let her go home and receive critically needed medical treatment, her lawyer told Mada Masr.
Interior Ministry: Esraa al-Taweel has been receiving medical treatment Assistant to the Interior Minister General Abu Bakr Abdel Rahim alleged that detained student Esraa al-Taweel has been receiving medical treatment, contradicting statements from both Taweel’s family and the Doctors Syndicate.
Rights groups launch week-long campaign against forced disappearances A group of rights organizations and movements have announced the launch of a campaign against forced disappearances, a practice that has become increasingly prevalent in Egypt over the past year.
Activists launch campaign against forced disappearance, state denies involvement Egyptian activists and lawyers started a week-long solidarity campaign against alleged forced disappearance by the government, while the government denies holding anyone without charges.
Brotherhood supreme guide Badie granted retrial after appealing life in prison Egypt`s Court of Cassation overturned Sunday the life sentences of the Muslim Brotherhood`s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and eight others, who will face a retrial for accusations of murder and inciting violence.
Egyptian court overturns convictions of 77 Morsi-supporters on violence-related charges The court ordered a retrial for the seventy-seven defendants who were originally sentenced to five to ten years in prison.
Prosecution unauthorized to list Brotherhood leaders as terrorists: Egypt Cassation Court The Cassation Court issued a decision in September to reject an appeal by MB leaders to be removed from the “terrorism list” after they were listed on it by a prosecution decision.
Egypt court reduces jail terms for Brotherhood leaders Beltagy and Hegazy in torture case The appeals court reduced the sentences from twenty to ten years in prison on charges of torturing two policemen in 2013.
Death sentences handed to Egypt’s Islamists merely preliminary, Sisi tells BBC Despite criticism in the UK against what some claim to be government repression, Britain is welcoming Sisi, who assured that Egypt is committed to democracy and is doing what is necessary within the law to combat terrorism.
Egyptian man sentenced to life in prison for torching church in 2013 The man is charged with arson attack against church in Kerdasa district in Giza governorate in August 2013.
Egypt court postpones Mubarak`s final murder retrial Egypt`s highest appeals court adjourned until 21 January the final trial of former president Hosni Mubarak over involvement in the killing of demonstrators during the 2011 uprising that ended his thirty-year rule.
Al-Azhar head `rejects efforts` to convert Egyptian youth to Shiism "We have seen huge funds being paid to convert Sunni youth to the Shia sect, and that is what we reject," El-Tayeb said during his weekly address on Friday, which is broadcast on a state TV channel.
Brotherhood, 6 of April & Revolutionary Socialists banned from Egypt student union elections The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education will start accepting candidacy applications on Monday for student union elections after announcing the exclusion of students belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the 6th of April Youth Movement, and the Revolutionary Socialists.
Lawyers` Syndicate elections kick off, annulment looming The Lawyers` Syndicate`s elections are kicking off Sunday, with uncertainty surrounding the judicially-supervised process, due to several challenges to its legality.
Student nurses arrested for protesting lack of state recognition and jobs Police forces dispersed a protest in Kasr al-Aini Street by a few hundred student nurses from a private institute who were demanding government employment on Sunday.
Foreign Policy
Amnesty calls on British PM to raise human rights concerns with Sisi Amnesty International urged British Prime Minister David Cameron to raise “key human rights concerns” with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is due to visit the UK later this week.
Protests punctuate Sisi`s first day in London Protesters for and against President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gathered on London`s Downing Street Thursday morning after he arrived in the UK to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Egypt quietly signs agreements with UK as talks of Sinai plane crash dominate Sisi`s London trip The MOU stipulated that a training program would be developed at Cambridge University to improve Egyptian testing and admission practices as part of bilateral efforts to improve higher education. The agreement also seeks to improve security coordination, especially in terms of staunching ideological extremism and preventing undocumented migration.
Exiled Egyptian activist asks Congress to halt aid to Cairo “The current regime in Egypt has no interest in granting basic liberties to their people. Freedom for the general population does not promote the interests of the Egyptian military industrial complex,” Mohamed Salah Sultan said in his testimony Tuesday to Congress and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.
Construction of Ethiopian Renaissance dam moving faster than dam talks: Egyptian irrigation minister The construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is going ahead at a faster pace than the talks on the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation Hossam Moghazi said on Saturday.
Russian Airliner Crash
Russian airliner crash kills 224 in Egypt`s Sinai; causes not yet determined A Russian airliner crashed in Egypt`s central Sinai Saturday, killing all 217 passengers and seven crew members.
Egypt asserts airports are safe after UK suspends flights Civil Aviation Minister spoke out on Thursday against the UK`s decision to halt flights to Sharm el-Sheikh after a Russian plane crashed in Sinai in unknown circumstances.
Egypt plays defense as investigations into Sinai plane crash continue Five days after a Russian plane crashed in the Sinai desert, killing all 224 people aboard, the Egyptian government has focused on defending its security standards and discrediting theories suggesting a terrorist attack was behind the tragedy.
US satellite recorded heat flash over Sinai at time of Russian plane crash Experts believe the flash may have been the result of a fuel tank or engine explosion, though they have not ruled out the possibility of an on-board bomb.
Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis insists it downed Russian plane, but refuses to provide evidence The group says that it downed the plane on its anniversary of pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS.
Obama says bomb may have caused Egypt plane crash Reports indicate that authorities intercepted militant communications suggesting the incident was a terrorist attack, although officials say it is too early to be sure.
Britain, U.S. intercepted `chatter` supporting theory bomb took down Russian jet over Sinai British and U.S. spies intercepted "chatter" from suspected militants and at least one other government suggesting that a bomb, possibly hidden in luggage in the hold, downed a Russian airliner on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board, Western intelligence sources said.
Black boxes point to bomb behind Russian plane crash over Egypt`s Sinai: Source An analysis of black boxes from the Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt on Saturday point to a bomb attack, sources close to the probe said Friday, as Moscow halted flights to the country.
Too early to reach conclusion on Russian plane downed in Sinai - Egypt investigator It is still too soon to determine what caused the crash of a Russian airliner in Sinai last week, the Egyptian head of the committee investigating the crash said at a news conference in Cairo on Saturday afternoon.
CNN: Black boxes show bomb brought down Russian jet CNN Aviation Analyst Richard Quest said there would have been different data on the black boxes if there was a catastrophic failure than if there was an explosion. The key is what happened just before the data suddenly stops, he said.
Bomb by Islamic State likely caused Russian plane crash: security sources Evidence now suggests that a bomb planted by the Islamic State militant group is the likely cause of last weekend`s crash of a Russian airliner over Egypt`s Sinai peninsula, US and European security sources said on Wednesday.
US official: `99.9% certain` Russian plane was felled by bomb Several senior administration officials in the intelligence, military and national security community told CNN the United States is almost positive a Russian passenger jet was brought down by a bomb.
Investigators `90% sure` that bomb went off on Russian flight: member of investigation team Investigators of the Russian plane crash in Egypt are "Ninety percent sure" the noise heard in the final second of a cockpit recording was an explosion caused by a bomb, a member of the investigation team told Reuters on Sunday.
Sharm el-Sheikh airport officials reveal porous security The airport at Egypt`s resort of Sharm el-Sheikh has long seen gaps in security, including a key baggage scanning device that often is not functioning and lax searches at an entry gate for food and fuel for the planes, security officials at the airport told The Associated Press.
Elections
Independents, For the Love of Egypt dominate elections runoff The High Elections Council released the official results for the runoffs of the first stage of parliamentary elections on Saturday, revealing that independents and candidates from the For the Love of Egypt list won the majority of seats.
Coalition cabinet is best for Egypt: Free Egyptians Party official The formation of a coalition cabinet is the most appropriate for Egypt as no political party gained an absolute majority in the first round of parliamentary elections, said Assistant Secretary General of the Free Egyptians Party Ayman Aboul Ela on Monday.
Head of electoral list: None of the candidates qualify for speaker Sameh Seif al-Yazal, the general coordinator of For the Love of Egypt list, speculated in an interview with Al-Arabiya that the upcoming parliament’s speaker will be one of the MPs appointed by the president.
Free Egyptians Party to support Adly Mansour as Parliament speaker Emad Gad of the Free Egyptians Party said in a press statement on Tuesday that the party would support former Interim President Adly Mansour if he is appointed Parliament speaker.
For the Love of Egypt seeks alliances to secure parliament majority An electoral list that scored a landslide victory during the first round of elections for the 568-seat House of Representatives will seek alliances with fellow member parties and independents to secure a parliamentary majority.
Leftists field 19 candidates in 2nd round of elections Egypt’s four leftist political parties are fielding nineteen candidates in the second round of parliamentary elections slated for 22 November, hoping to make up for a zero-gain in the first round.
Domestic Security
6 killed in Arish car bombing, Province of Sinai claims responsibility A car bomb targeting a police club in Arish on Wednesday killed six people and injured ten, Reuters reported.
11 dead in Beheira as flood waters rise in several areas nationwide Eleven people died in the northern governorate of Beheira as a result of bad weather and flooding, which also hit Alexandria and Sinai.
Economy
Budget deficit 11.5% in 2014/15, failing to meet Sisi`s 10% target Egypt’s budget deficit for fiscal year 2014/15 amounted to 11.5 percent of GDP, the Finance Ministry announced.
State takes stopgap measures to combat rising food prices Egypt’s Supply Ministry distributed food to 4,000 outlets, to be sold at twenty percent below market value, in order to artificially combat rising food prices, the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Tuesday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Egypt: What Elections? Jonathan Rashad presents a photoessay highlighting the indifference of Egyptians toward the ongoing legislative elections.