[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
Egypt rights groups raise concerns over violations at UN rights council Egyptian human rights organizations relayed concerns over escalating violations against human rights defenders at the thirty-first session of the UN Human Rights Council on Friday, demanding the release of those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression.
Human rights lawyer faces legal charges over anti-torture draft law A human rights lawyer is facing accusations of forming an illegal law firm after he proposed an anti-torture law to the president`s office.
Four journalists sentenced to prison for `publishing false information` A Cairo misdemeanor court sentenced on Monday four journalists to three years in prison each on charges of “publishing false news” and “membership in an illegal organization.”
Detained Al-Badil journalist tortured and disappeared: rights group The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement on Thursday calling for Egyptian authorities to charge or release Sabry Anwar, a journalist who is currently detained and allegedly faces torture in custody.
MOI allows detained journalists medical treatment after syndicate sit-in The Ministry of Interior responded to some of the demands made by Journalists Syndicate board members on Monday, as they staged a sit-in over prison conditions for detained journalists.
Interior Minister denies forced disappearances in Egypt Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said on Sunday that claims of forced disappearances taking place in Egypt are false.
Researcher of Islamist movements arrested for alleged Brotherhood links Executive director of the Civilization Center for Political Studies and PhD candidate at Cairo University Medhat Maher was arrested last week for alleged links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
UPDATE: 2 police officers in custody after assaulting Alexandria doctor A doctor at Alexandria University Hospital went into emergency surgery on Wednesday after he was allegedly assaulted by a police officer and three others, two of whom were remanded in custody on Thursday until investigations into the incident are complete.
Police officer shoots 11-year-old girl during altercation in Cairo neighborhood A police officer shot and injured an eleven-year-old girl during an argument with a man in the Bulaq Dakrour neighborhood, close to downtown Cairo.
Egyptian policeman accused of fabricating drug charges referred to trial - source Egypt`s top prosecutor referred a policeman to trial on Saturday on accusation of fabricating drug charges in an incident that occurred in November, a judicial source said.
Lawyers for Darb al-Ahmar victim demand harsher charges for police shooter The family and lawyers of a man shot dead by a police officer in Darb al-Ahmar demanded stronger charges be bought against the defendant.
Actress Mirhan Hussein accuses police of assault, harassment Popular singer and actress Mirhan Hussein has accused police forces of assault and harassment after they pulled her over for allegedly driving under the influence on Tuesday.
Egypt`s parliament may review draft laws of police conduct this week Egypt’s parliament could review the interior ministry’s draft laws regulating police treatment of citizens this week, according to Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar.
Alexandria military court issues sentences against 16 civilians, including 7 executions Alexandria’s military court issued harsh sentences against sixteen civilian defendants on Wednesday in light of a bomb attack in Kafr al-Sheikh City that resulted in the deaths of three military cadets in April 2015.
April 6 cofounder Amr Ali sentenced to 3 years prison Al-Marg Misdemeanors Court has sentenced Amr Ali, the general coordinator of the banned April 6 Youth Movement, to three years in prison and a 500 LE fine for conspiring to overthrow the government, according to a statement posted to the April 6 Facebook page on Monday.
45 day renewed detention for Egypt doctors syndicate activist Taher Mokhtar A Cairo court ordered on Wednesday a forty-five day renewed detention of doctors’ syndicate freedom committee member Taher Mokhtar and his two roommates pending further investigations.
Egyptian Facebook admin sentenced to 5 years in jail for `inciting murder against police` Ismailiya Misdemeanor Court sentenced Mohamed Magdy Ibrahim, an administrator of "Ismailia-2020" Facebook page, to five years in jail on Monday on charges of "inciting murder against police officers."
More inmates join hunger strike against abuses at Aqrab Prison Several inmates at Cairo’s maximum-security Aqrab Prison have joined an open hunger strike demanding that prison officials follow the rule of law and halt ongoing abuses, said a statement issued by their families on Monday.
Okasha faces backlash from journalists, lawyers after meeting with Israeli ambassador Egyptian lawyers and journalists are rallying against any further rapprochement with Israel in the wake of controversial parliamentarian and TV anchor Tawfiq Okasha’s meeting with the Israeli ambassador last Wednesday.
Parliament votes out controversial MP Tawfiq Okasha for meeting with Israeli ambassador Controversial MP Tawfiq Okasha has been dismissed from his post by a majority vote in parliament on Wednesday afternoon, after the outspoken TV anchor invited the Israeli ambassador to his home on 24 February for a political discussion.
A dozen Egyptian officials referred to trial for corruption A dozen Egyptian officials who served in the southeastern Red Sea province were referred to trial on Saturday by the administrative prosecution on corruption charges.
In search of a legacy, Egypt`s leader buys arms Egypt appears to be finalizing a deal to buy 46 MiG-29 multirole fighters, worth $US2 billion, according to Russian media reports.
Coptic church proposes law to allow divorce in cases of desertion The Coptic Orthodox Church has proposed new draft provisions for the laws governing marriage and divorce for Copts.
Economy
Business conditions deteriorate for 5th month in a row Operating conditions for Egypt’s non-oil private sector deteriorated in February for the fifth month in a row, according to a survey of local businesses.
Egypt launches high-interest CDs to lure dollars from overseas workers In a bid to encourage Egyptians working abroad to help ease a hard-currency shortage by putting their dollars in local banks, Egypt’s state banks will introduce dollar-denominated savings certificates yielding up to 5.5 percent interest.
Central Bank amends mortgage finance rules for low earners The Central Bank of Egypt has amended its 2014 mortgage scheme in what is says is an effort to allow more low and middle income Egyptians to benefit from long-term financing at low interest rates.
Egypt to double natural gas production by mid-2017 - Prime Minister Egypt will double its natural gas production by the second quarter of 2017 as a result of 2015`s discoveries, Prime Minster Sherif Ismail said on Tuesday.
Foreign Relations
Japan to fund projects worth LE18 billion, host 2,500 Egyptian students President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Japan on Monday for his first official state visit to the country. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced during a joint press conference with Sisi that Japan would invest approximately 18 billion LE in Egyptian business initiatives with Japanese companies.
S.Korea to provide Egypt with $3 bln financial package for infrastructure South Korea has vowed to provide Egypt with a financial package worth 3 billion USD for export credits and to develop infrastructure in the transport, energy and water resources sectors.
Egypt’s Sisi meets with major S. Korean companies on last stop of Asian tour Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi met with representatives of major South Korean companies on Friday morning in Seoul, the final stop on his Asian tour.
Iraqi president to visit Egypt on Sunday Iraqi President Fuad Masum visits Egypt on Sunday to meet with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, as announced by Iraqi ambassador to Cairo Diaa al-Dabbas on Friday.
Egypt signs military cooperation agreement with Cyprus Egypt`s defense minister Sedki Sobhi and his Cypriot counterpart Christophoros Fokaides signed a joint military cooperation agreement Monday in Cairo.
Egyptian-French joint military training commences in Alexandria Egyptian and French air and navy forces started on Sunday the joint training session "Ramses 2016," which is being hosted by Egypt for several days in the coastal city of Alexandria.
Domestic Security
Egypt: Hamas, Brotherhood involved in assassination of top prosecutor The Egyptian interior minister said on Sunday that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood in Turkey and the group`s Palestinian offshoot Hamas were behind the assassination of top prosecutor Hisham Barakat on 29 June, 2015.
Police officer killed in Egypt`s Shubra Al-Kheima A senior police officer was killed early on Thursday during a firefight with suspected criminals in the Shubra al-Kheima neighborhood north of Cairo, Egypt`s interior ministry said in a statement.
Egyptian policeman killed in North Sinai shooting - state agency A policeman was killed in North Sinai`s al-Arish city in a shooting during the early hours of Sunday.
Egypt’s army claims killing of 5 ‘terrorists’ in North Sinai Egypt’s army has killed five “terrorist elements” in a shootout in North Sinai’s Sheikh Zuweid city, the army spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.
Car bomb explodes in Mohandiseen, no deaths reported A car bomb exploded in Cairo on Saturday morning, causing damage to surrounding cars but killing nobody. According to investigators, the explosion was intended to target three officers who live in a nearby building.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
The `Taharrush` Connection: Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and Sexual Violence in Germany and Beyond Angie Abdelmonem, Rahma Esther Bavelaar, Elisa Wynne-Hughes, and Susana Galán deconstruct the racist rhetoric that has singularly ascribed incidents of sexual violence to Middle Eastern and North African men, highlighting the politics this rhetoric obscures.
في ذكرى وفاة أم كلثوم: على الأرض طين وفي الغصن تفاحة عالقة Deif Hamza Deif reflects on the life and legacy of Um Kulthoum on the anniversary of her death.