[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
Journalists brace for escalating protests following syndicate raid Media workers headed to the Journalists Syndicate again on Monday to protest after security forces blocked the road to the historic downtown Cairo building.
MOI accidentally sends media plan on Journalists Syndicate raid to journalists The Interior Ministry accidentally sent a plan detailing its media strategy regarding the ongoing sit-in at the Journalists Syndicate to a number of journalists, who then posted it on social media.
Leaked MOI memos reveal intentions to issue gag orders on Journalists Syndicate raid, Regeni`s murder Amid its feud with the Journalists Syndicate, the Interior Ministry accidentally revealed its media strategies regarding several pressing issues, including the death of Italian Student Giulio Regeni and individual violations committed by security forces.
Journalists demand apology from presidency, removal of Interior Minister after syndicate raid Journalists demanded an apology from the presidency during an emergency Journalists Syndicate general assembly meeting on Wednesday, which was called in response to the recent security raid on the syndicate by the Interior Ministry.
Press Syndicate urges publishing headlines demanding minister`s dismissal Egypt`s Press Syndicate urged newspapers on Friday to publish headlines or logs in Saturday`s issues calling for the sacking of the interior minister in protest against a police raid of the syndicate’s building last week.
News outlets adopt Journalists Syndicate decisions following security raid on headquarters Following an emergency general assembly meeting held at the Journalists Syndicate on Wednesday in response to a security raid on the syndicate’s headquarters earlier this week, online and print news outlets have begun implementing decisions finalized during the meeting.
Deadlock in legislation regulating press freedom in Egypt Egyptian journalists continue to face a critical threat to their freedom following the storming of the Journalists Syndicate headquarters by security forces on Sunday.
Egypt should probe assaults on journalists, not silence press – watchdog A U.S.-based watchdog said Egyptian authorities should not support efforts to “silence the press” after the public prosecutor banned media coverage of a case in which two journalists were arrested while sitting in at the press syndicate`s headquarters.
The Journalists Syndicate`s victory In an outrageous move, Egyptian security forces stormed the headquarters of the Journalists Syndicate late Sunday night. Mostafa Mohie examines how the unfolding events have led to a victory for the press amid an unprecedented crackdown by the current administration on press freedoms in Egypt.
19-year-old actor arrested from home for online videos Art student and actor Ezz Eddin Khaled, a member of the Atfal al-Shawarea troupe, was arrested from his house in the early hours of Saturday morning on accusations of publishing videos on the internet insulting state institutions and inciting protests.
2 Al Jazeera journalists, 4 others sentenced to death in Qatar espionage case Six people, including two Al Jazeera journalists, were handed preliminary death sentences on Saturday on charges of leaking national security secrets to Qatar.
Rights lawyer Malek Adly and activist Zizo Abdo exhibit signs of abuse after arrest Human rights lawyer Malek Adly and April 6 Youth Movement member Zizo Abdo, who were arrested on Thursday night in Maadi, appear to have been assaulted while in police custody.
Egypt court rejects Douma’s request to suspend life sentence Egypt’s Court of Cassation rejected on Saturday a request by prominent political activist Ahmed Douma to suspend the life imprisonment sentence he had been handed on charges of illegal assembly and attacking security forces in clashes that took place in 2011.
Rights groups condemn over 2-year detention of Belady founders Seventeen human rights groups released a statement on Wednesday condemning the continued pretrial detention of Aya Hegazy, her husband Mohamed Hassanein and two volunteers at the Belady Foundation for Street Children.
AUC students call for `immediate release` of detained colleague A few hundred students at the American University in Cairo called for the immediate release of their detained colleague Ibrahim Tamer on Wednesday.
Remaining defendants in April 15 protests released pending trial Qasr al-Nil Criminal Court ordered the release of twenty-two defendants arrested during demonstrations on 15 April protesting the sovereign transfer of two islands off the coast of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula to Saudi Arabia.
Update: Prosecutor tells activist Sanaa Seif to return in 10 days The prosecution released activist Sanaa Seif on Wednesday after she voluntarily turned herself in, asking her to return in ten days, she wrote on her Facebook page . Seif was sentenced to six months in prison for insulting a public official.
Mubarak-era PM acquitted of graft charges An Egyptian court acquitted former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif of corruption charges on Wednesday, overturning a guilty verdict and a five-year prison sentence he was handed in July 2015. The verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
Egypt military court sentences 144 Morsi supporters to prison on 2013 violence charges An Egyptian military court sentenced 144 supporters of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to prison, with sentences ranging from fifteen to twenty-five years in jail.
27 police officials accused of cooperation with drug network in the Delta Twenty-seven police, including a number of generals, have been accused of cooperating with a large drug network in the Delta, according to security sources.
Religious Difference in a Secular Age: Book review Paul Sedra reviews Saba Mahmoud`s recent book, examining why the 1960s, a decade frequently associated with the last gasp of secular values and governance in Egypt, inaugurated a period of utterly unprecedented growth in one of the country’s largest and most important religious institutions — the Coptic Orthodox Church.
Sexual assault of 3-year-old exposes school, legal failures Egypt witnesses a rise in the sexual assault of children. According to the head of the Egyptian Coalition for Children`s Rights, Hany Helal, “Egypt has one of the strongest laws to protect children” but it is just “ink on paper.”
Economy
Sisi`s speech at wheat harvest celebration: I don`t get scared Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he is not scared and urged Egyptians not to be scared either, mentioning several national projects costing 1.3 trillion LE during a speech to celebrate the wheat harvest in Farafra.
Sisi claims Suez Canal revenue is increasing, but it depends on how you count it In a Thursday speech extolling his government’s accomplishments, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took a defensive line on the Suez Canal. Although the president dismissed reports of declining revenue, the fact is that the dollar value of Suez Canal tolls was about 290 million USD less in 2015 than in 2014.
Foreign reserves climb to $17 billion in April Egypt’s foreign reserves reached 17.01 billion USD at the end of April, up from 16.56 billion USD in March, the Central Bank announced Wednesday. The 450 million USD increase is the largest jump in reserves since June 2015.
Survey: Weak pound made April another rough month for businesses in Egypt With Egypt’s pound sinking against the dollar, business conditions deteriorated for the seventh month in a row in April, according to representatives of the non-oil private sector interviewed for the Purchasing Managers’ Index.
From Fawry to Feloosy, FinTech is finally gaining a foothold As Egypt’s start-up scene continues to draw attention from global media, expect to hear more about FinTech. Short for financial technology, FinTech firms seek to develop new technologies that creatively streamline financial transactions.
Foreign Relations
US State Department, EU release statements on Journalists Syndicate raid Spokespersons for both the European Union and the US State Department released statements on Monday regarding the security raid on Egypt`s Journalists Syndicate.
U.S. congressional delegation discusses counterterrorism in Cairo A U.S. congressional delegation arrived in Cairo on Monday to discuss with Egyptian officials counterterrorism efforts and regional stability and security, the U.S. embassy said in a statement.
Russian delegation discusses military cooperation with Egypt A Russian military delegation headed by Alexander Fomin, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, discussed military cooperation with Egyptian officials on Friday.
Italian delegation arrives in Cairo to follow up on Regeni`s case - airport sources An Italian delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday to follow up on the investigation into the case of slain Italian student Giulio Regeni, sources in Cairo International Airport said.
Egypt`s FM discusses regional developments with French minister in Cairo Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Saturday in Cairo a number of regional issues and bilateral relations with the French Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Jean Marie Le Guen.
Palestinian president arrives in Cairo for talks on Palestinian developments Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Cairo on Sunday for a two-day visit during which he will meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss developments in the Palestinian territories.
Who is Egypt’s ‘enemy’ today? How Egyptians see relations with Israel Diplomatic ties have been restored, bilateral coordination is “better than ever” as an Israeli minister said in April, and political relations continue to strengthen.
Domestic Security
Several militant groups claim responsibility for death of 8 policemen in Helwan The Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack that left eight policemen dead in Helwan early Sunday morning. The statement claimed that the attack was carried out to avenge women imprisoned by the state.
President Sisi extends state of emergency in North Sinai for 3 months Egypt`s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has extended a state of emergency in designated areas of the North Sinai governorate for three further months. The extension, the seventh since August 2013, is awaiting approval from parliament.