[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
European lawyers launch petition to demand Adly’s release Lawyers from several European countries launched a petition on Monday to demand that Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghafar release lawyer Malek Adly from prison.
Update: Prosecution appeals court order to release rights lawyer Malek Adly The prosecution appealed a court ruling to release human rights lawyer Malek Adly on Thursday, with a session set to review the decision Saturday.
Human rights lawyer Malek Adly released from detention Human rights lawyer Malek Adly has been released on Sunday after an Egyptian court rejected a prosecution appeal on his release.
After release ruling, detainee Islam Khalil accused of attacking police officer Prosecution questioned detainee Islam Khalil on Thursday over accusations he attacked a police officer at Raml police station in Alexandria, according to his lawyer Haleem Heneish.
Egypt court rejects suspension of prison term for novelist Ahmed Naji pending appeal A Cairo misdemeanor court rejected on Saturday a request by novelist Ahmed Naji that a two-year prison sentence against him for publishing “sexually explicit” material be suspended pending an appeal.
Egyptian court orders release of journalist Amr Badr on bail A criminal court has ruled on Sunday for the release of journalist Amr Badr on bail pending investigation, lawyers Tarek al-Awady and Khaled Ali said on their Facebook pages.
Egypt court says has no jurisdiction over sequestration of press syndicate An Egyptian court said on Monday it does not have authority to rule on a lawsuit demanding the imposition of judicial sequestration on the press syndicate.
Egypt court recuses panel presiding over case of Egyptian-Saudi accord Egypt`s Supreme Administrative Court accepted on Saturday a request to recuse the panel reviewing an appeal against the annulment of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
New regulation mandates NGOs consult ministry security department regarding activities In a letter sent to several nongovernmental organizations, the Ministry of Social Solidarity has detailed a new regulation whereby nongovernmental organizations must consult with the ministry’s security department regarding all planned activities.
Sisi’s interview with state newspapers: Economy, HR and Israel-Palestine President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave a three-part interview to Egypt’s state-owned newspapers: Al-Ahram, Al-Akhbar and Al-Gomhouria, in which he raised the peace process between Palestine and Israel, Egypt’s ailing economy, and the country’s human rights situation.
Sisi: Official military expenditure lowest in region, additional expenditure from private military funds Egypt’s military expenditure is the lowest in the region, at 2-2.5 percent of total GDP, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in the second part of an extended interview with three of Egypt’s state-owned newspapers on Monday, adding that additional expenditure comes from private military funds.
Sisi to pardon 300 prisoners, says `there are no political prisoners` Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he would issue pardons for more than 300 detainees within the upcoming days, local newspapers reported Tuesday.
TV host Ahmed Moussa backpedals after Sisi poll gone bad on Twitter "The shit host backpedals" is the new hashtag going viral on social media in Egypt, referring to TV host Ahmed Moussa`s online blunder.
Coptic Church declares compromise with state over contentious church building law The Coptic Orthodox Church declared a compromise with the Egyptian government on Wednesday night over a contentious draft law organizing the building of churches.
Egypt`s Cabinet approves church building law Egypt`s Cabinet approved a long-debated draft law concerning the building and restoration of churches on Thursday, according to notes from a Cabinet meeting sent to local media.
Egypt wheat commission submits corruption report amid calls for minister to resign A fact-finding commission investigating corruption in Egypt`s domestic wheat supplies has delivered its final report to parliament, a lawmaker said on Monday, amid mounting pressure on the minister of supplies to resign.
Supply minister resigns amid corruption allegations Embroiled in controversy stemming from widespread subsidy fraud in Egypt’s domestic wheat supply chain and media reports of misappropriated public funds that were used to cover a two-year stay at a hotel suite, Supply Minister Khaled Hanafy held a press conference on Thursday to announce that he would step down from his government position.
Egypt`s cabinet approves amendments to law against FGM Egypt’s cabinet approved a draft amendment to the law against Female Genital Mutilation, imposing harsher punishments on the practice, the health minister said on Sunday.
Egypt’s House of Representatives approves 13 pct VAT rate Egypt’s House of Representatives approved on Sunday the rate of the value-added tax to be set at thirteen percent.
Egyptian MPs who held press conference condemning VAT bill referred to disciplinary committee The speaker of Egypt`s parliament Ali Abdel-Al referred on Sunday several members of the leftist parliamentary bloc titled "25-30" to a disciplinary committee after they held a press conference where they expressed their rejection of the recently approved VAT law.
Economy
Zamalek metro construction to proceed despite complaints The Zamalek metro station is to be executed as planned, Transport Minister Galal Said told the privately owned Al-Shorouk newspaper on Sunday amid continuing objections from Zamalek residents.
August salaries for Egyptian embassies abroad delayed due to dollar crisis August salaries for all employees of Egyptian diplomatic missions abroad have been delayed due to lack of funds.
Foreign Relations
The match became a war: Egyptian judoka speaks about Olympic controversy “The match was no longer merely a matter of sport,” Egyptian judoka Islam al-Shehaby told Al-Nahar TV on Tuesday, in his first public interview since his match against Israeli judoka Or Sasson. “It became a war.”
Turkish Airlines to resume flights to Sharm el-Sheikh after a year Turkish Airlines is set to resume its flights from Istanbul to Sharm al-Sheikh following nearly a year’s hiatus since the Russian plane crash in Sinai, the Turkish Embassy in Cairo announced Wednesday.
Russian flights to Egypt likely to resume in October Nearly a year after Russian flights to Egypt were suspended in response to a fatal crash in Sinai, Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy has announced that direct flights could resume in October.
Saudi court: Egyptian convicted of espionage for Iran used sorcery A Riyadh court sentenced an Egyptian citizen living in Saudi Arabia to six years in jail on Monday on charges of espionage for Iran, and communicating with a sorcerer with intent to use sorcery against his sponsor.
From Egypt to Trump: Local businessman rents property to presidential campaigner A Washington property owned by former independent member of parliament and former member of Egypt`s Wafd Party, Mostafa al-Gendy, has been allegedly used as the headquarters for US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s campaign manager.
Domestic Security
MOI: Security kills Muslim Brotherhood member after attempted attack on Cairo church Security forces shot dead an assailant who attacked an officer stationed at the Saint Fatima Church in Heliopolis on Wednesday morning, the Ministry of the Interior announced on its official Facebook page
Sinai militants kill kidnapped police officer Three masked militants shot and killed abducted police officer Ahmed Salama Abou Darb in a busy district of the Sinai city of Arish in the early hours of Thursday afternoon.
Egypt`s armed forces kill four militants in exchange of fire in Rafah Egyptian armed forces said on Friday it killed four militants in an exchange of fire North Sinai`s Rafah.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
مختارات من ديوان ضفائر روح Poet Deema Mahmood shares excerpts from her new anthology.